Being The Tattooed Mormon

I LOVE tattoos.

I currently have two of them. I have one on my left wrist of a semi colon butterfly named Finley and I have the song lyrics from a song that saved my life on my right forearm. The lyrics are, "I'm gonna love you forever that's just my curse it's just whatever."

Ever since I got that second tattoo, I have been planning more. I get starred at because people think, "She has tattoo's and she is Mormon?" Not everyone agrees that I should be getting tattoos. I had a guy who I was dating at the time beg me as long as we were together not to get a tattoo. Yes, he is a Mormon. And he is currently married so there's that.

Every tattoo for me has a reason and a story. My butterfly named Finley came after I met my ex fiance's cousins daughter and I fell in love. I hung out with this little girl at a time where I wanted to die and end everything and she gave me the motivation to live. I always look at that tattoo and find some little reason to live. I have to keep beating.

My second tattoo came thanks to an artist named Call Me Karizma. Those lyrics remind me of the people who I so will never forget and I am always gonna have a special place for them in my heart. Recently that song hit way too close to home with an ending of a relationship but hey life happens.

I want people to realize that I respect my body even though I get tattoos and I absolutely love them. I believe in the Gospel. I know for a fact that it is true. I got a blessing in the hospital and I was reminded of the love that Jesus has for me. I am reminded when I get to talk to my best friends weekly as they are serving the Lord.

 I especially have faith in this gospel because I thought my best friend was dead. There was a severe earthquake in Mexico City. That is where my best friend is serving and I hadn't heard anything for two days about any of the missionaries. I ended up reading a statement that they were safe. My best friend also got special permission to email saying he was safe. I read that email after I was home from treatment but I knew before that he was safe. I had a feeling that my best friend was safe and sound and so was his companion. I had that safe feeling.

I strive to be different. That is just who I am. I am gonna be the Tattooed Mormon and if anyone has a problem, they can come to be about it. I know Heavenly Father still loves me and I am a Child of God.

I may struggle with the gospel sometimes but in the end it is sometimes all I got and I am so thankful for it.

-Kyrsten