Dandelions-- they fly pretty.

We all have our own reasons as to why we do things.

We eat to make our tummy happy.

We sing to release stress or express ourselves.

We write to inspire others.

Whatever our reasons are, the only one who can completely understand why we do what we do is ourselves.

Many questions were raised when I announced one night at a get together that I was getting a tattoo.

Why now?

Why go through the pain of getting one?

Don’t you know it’s permanent? What if it doesn’t go the way you intended?

Why dandelions?

Why do they become birds?

I was bombarded with so many questions I couldn’t even answer any of them. At that point, I was starting to question my own decision of getting inked. I guess all those worries my friends had, started creeping in and it made me feel like I was doing the wrong thing.

Despite all that, the day of my appointment finally came. And without preamble, I decided to pursue getting my tattoo.

Many were surprised. Shocked. Proud. Creeped out. Or plainly didn’t care. But for those who have their questions unanswered, let me lay it out for you:

I’ve always wanted to get inked. –  There is no further explanation to it. It’s not about being cool or being able to endure pain. It’s about having something permanent to remind you of what you are and who you intend to be. We all have our own ways of doing it, it just so happens that this is how I express mine.

Why dandelions? – Dandelions are a symbol of youth and hope. When I grow old, I want to be reminded of my youth and about not losing faith in everything I do. Failures will always be part of life, but my tattoo encourages me to be stronger and braver after every down fall.

I can make a longer explanation about everything, but to be honest I don’t think I need to. You can all make your own assumptions as to why people do what they do but in the end they don’t really matter.

For me, I got inked because I wanted to. Period.

The rest is for you to figure.