It doesn't matter if you have a single tattoo or your whole body is inked; they are like stories spelled out on the skin. Each tattoo is unique and carries a different meaning for every individual - it might be a fashion statement, an abstract design, or a pop culture icon for a teen, or an expression of self for some people. Yet, for others, tattoos carry much deeper sentiments.
Once you find the right artist, bringing your vision to life and adorning your body with a particular memory, a reminder, or a quote that means the world to you could be such a beautiful process. And some of these inked designs have the power to move not just the bearer but also anyone who sees it! So, we've rounded up our favorite tattoos where there's an incredible story behind each of them. Some of these exemplify such pain and courage that they are bound to be heartbreakers!
Forever Around
Losing your dear ones is always an emotionally exhausting experience.
Family and friends are the most precious assets of our lives, and it certainly gets really tough to fill a void created by their absence!
People often pay all kinds of tribute to keep their loved ones in mind, if not in reality. Likewise, this young girl here decided to get a permanent tattoo in the memory of her father. She sketched her dad's signature mustache and vision glasses and got them carved behind her ear. Indeed a sweet gesture!
Heartfelt And Handwritten
This young lady lost her father at a very early stage in life. To keep him alive in her memories, she got a poem tattoed on her thighs and that too in her dad's handwriting!
It was not a random piece of literature but a heartfelt verse, written by a parent for his child. What makes it unique is that he wrote it the day he became a first-time parent to his little girl and wanted to make an introduction between the two. Unfortunately, he couldn't curate more for his grandkids!
Sailing Through Difficult Times
It is difficult to watch a parent fight for his life in the hospital from a serious illness. But it is even more sad and hard when you can not take care of them because of your own health conditions.
Though he was sick himself, this person in the wheelchair visited his family member daily who was struggling with cancer. Unfortunately, the situation got worse, and neither could see each other. Hence, they wrote letters. It was indeed thoughtful of the son to turn those temporary notes into permanent memories by getting a drawing of those musings inked on his arm in his father's honor!
Keep Them in Your Heart
While attending a funeral, this person heard a verse in the prayer, which she thought to be highly meaningful. Little did the lady knew she would be getting a permanent tattoo out of it soon in the loving memory of a family member!
The young girl lost her father to a heart attack right before her eighteenth birthday. We can only imagine how hard it must have been for her! She also added her dad's signature beneath this verse in his handwriting! It's indeed true - our dear ones might leave us, but one can never stop missing them!
Some Important Dimensions
Not just family members, friends, or relatives, but losing their home also leaves people devastated! It is a place where you have made thousand of memories and put in all your hard-earned money to make it the house of your dreams.
Unfortunately, this lady also lost her humble abode due to hurricane Katrina! She might be heartbroken, but with three jobs, the woman is determined to earn enough to build it all again. So it is only fair that she got its floor plan inked at the back of her palms.
A Gentle Reminder
The pixelated design of the tattoo might make you think that the woman is probably a gamer and, because she hardly loses any game, she got a heart engraved on her collar-bone to resemble the "extra-life" symbol in video games.
We are sure she must have also wished it to be true, but the girl was on the verge of losing her life in reality. Luckily, she underwent a major surgery that saved her, and this tattoo now works as a reminder of her struggling days and a promise for a beautiful future ahead!
The Countdown Clip
Tattoos are quite personal, and different people get them for various reasons; they range from utterly hilarious to beautifully emotional. This person decided to remember their grandmother, who had passed on, and they got a unique tattoo of a message she had sent to their grandfather during his 1950's deployment.
To give the tattoo a different twist, they got it done as an audio clip of the message, which reads, 'You've got me counting days.' We must say, nothing is more fitting and heartfelt for a memory like this.
In Loving Memory
Losing someone you love is never an easy thing, so we cannot imagine how hard it is to lose multiple people at once. The experience is devastating and difficult to move on from, and when this person lost his parents and their dog in one day, he thought it wise to honor them with somebody ink.
The parents and the dog tragically passed on in a house fire caused by a propane tank leak. The tattoo he got, features an image of the home, his parents' initials, and a dog in the window, making it the perfect family memorial art.
Life's Purpose
Not all tattoos originate from a misfortune; some are born from finding something passionate about their lives like this person. He had to leave the rescue squad where he'd begun his time as an EMT and go to college, so the guy decided to get a meaningful tattoo to commemorate the stint there.
The body ink that covers a large portion of his forearm includes the EMT symbol, also known as the 'Star of Life' and the number of his first volunteer squad! What a way to remember one's life's calling!
Moving On
When a tattoo does not work for you anymore, you can cover it up with an equally or more powerful one that is more meaningful. When this person broke up with the ex, they decided to cover up the matching tattoos they both got while dating.
In its place, the small tattoo was covered by a diamond, ingeniously, so that the dark coloring did a perfect concealment job. The stone is also a symbol for its worth and resilience. If this is not the ideal way of moving on from a breakup, we don't know what is.
Always With Me
The reason why this tattoo is so touching is because of the sad story behind it. Losing someone you love is a hard pill to swallow, and for this person, when they lost their sister to cancer, they decided to honor her memory by getting a significant tattoo.
What makes the story more emotional is that they explained that the sister could not write much due to what she was going through, and it turns out, that's what she wrote the most. Getting the tattoo done in her handwriting is definitely a fantastic way to remember her always.
Grandfather's Memoirs
Complicated but straightforward is what we would call this eye-catchy tattoo. Here a grandson draws inspiration from a chart his grandfather drew for him of his home location.
The bond between the two reflects a typical grandfather's relationship with a grandson, one that is always full of love. The thought of his junior getting lost on his way home sparked this simple lovely gesture so that he would always know where home is relative to the equator. It's surely a piece of art one would want to keep embedded in them permanently.
Saviour Pet
There is a reason they call dogs, a man's best friend. As one of the first domesticated animals, the canine has grown closer to man over centuries to a point that the two are almost inseparable.
This young lady had a pet dog named Snoopy, who helped her wade through tough times after getting a life-threatening injury. The pet was always there for her; she decided that her way of keeping it close was to get a tattoo and always remember her furry friend whenever she looked at it. Who knew human-animal relationships could be this deep!
Sweet Nana
Everybody has their way of celebrating an important national day. For this lady, getting a tattoo was her unique way of honoring her Nana, whose birthday fell on St. Patrick's Day.
A hummingbird swooping for the nectar in a clover could symbolize the nurture a growing child gets from their mature Nana, much like the relationship between these two. Unlike most of us, who will only have St. Patrick's Day to celebrate, the young lady will have two more journeys to remember on that particular day; a special person in her life and getting inked for the first time.
A Fairy-Like Visage
Most parents disapprove of their children getting tattoos, let alone having conversations with them on the ones they'd like to have drawn.
This girl's mother had hinted that she would want to get a fairy tattoo, but the lady did not get the chance to do it before she passed away. To honor the kindred spirit, her daughter decided to get the fairy drawn on her arm, adding one personal touch of a note the mum had left her, declaring her love for the daughter. Now her mother's words will forever be on her!
I Am Me
Living in a world where being comfortable in your own skin, with prying eyes everywhere expecting a certain standard from you, is not an easy feat. This lady has overcome a really big hurdle. She is not even the tiniest bit bothered by the opinion of others to the extent of announcing her milestone to the world through a tattoo.
Tiny symbols can hold a huge meaning, just like pictures speak a thousand words. Most people can borrow a leaf from her on accepting yourself fully before letting others accept you.
A Tribute Through Minimalism
The art of minimalism is often underrated, but in the world of tattoos, it can be a very effective way to pay tribute to things we find essential, like our loved ones. We can carry a little bit of them with us for the rest of our lives.
Take, for example, these sisters who got a little bit of ink to celebrate the memory of their lost father. Don't you think that this is a stunning way to pay homage to those who are no longer with us? We certainly think it is!
I'm Here For You
In a shining example of what is needed of a husband, this man decided that the best way to show support for his wife's battle with depression was to get a tattoo. This shows that he's trying to do his best to be there for her through the good and bad days.
Being depressed is a tricky thing, and the people around the person feeling down don't know what to do, but this guy made a plan which we could all take to heart. Isn't it lovely to know that there are people out there who are willing to do that little bit extra to make their companions feel loved!
Character
A tattoo can be a great way to express your character or what people think about you, and that was the case in this example.
This girl got a lion tattooed on her leg in honor of the nickname her coach gave her. We think her "Beast" tattoo is a brilliant way of taking the image she created for herself in the sports arena to heart and portraying it to the world. If you're the only girl on a high school wrestling team, you, too, deserve a symbol like this to represent your willingness not to back down and strive for victory!
Respects Paid
A great way to pay your respects to the fallen is to incorporate parts of them into the art that goes on your body, and that is what this man did in honor of the brother that he lost.
His sibling had the phrase "Honor Your Truth" tattooed across his chest, and this young man decided to make those words part of a unique piece instead of just copying the original, which we think is a fitting tribute to his loved one. It's now a new symbol of the hope and growth that can come out of tragedy, and we reckon his bro would've been proud!
Something To Cling To
Dealing with enormous tragedy is hard, and this person reckoned it was a good idea to get a tattoo to cope with the trauma of losing their friend in a climbing mishap.
They chose to go with a design that features a safety rope to remind him to be careful when going out adventuring so that he doesn't end up like his companion, but also as a reminder that he will always have the good memories they shared to cling to for the rest of time. All in all, this piece of ink is a beautiful mixture of hope, dealing with loss, and remembering to stay safe!
Number One Dad
Although tattoos are mostly done for aesthetics, there are a few great examples of people getting them for exceptional reasons, as this dad did for his daughter.
This little girl had to receive a cochlear implant, and as you can imagine, the stress of something like this could be very overwhelming for a child, but luckily for her, she has a great father who immediately formed an action plan! He had his device tattooed on his head to show his support, and we're sure that we can all agree that this is one of the best things ever to be tattooed on someone's head!
Inked And Entwined
Losing a loved one is difficult, but the loss of a twin is something that only the one who is left behind will ever truly understand. When you share almost the same genetic material and so many life experiences, the loss is tremendous, and it's hard to find ways to deal with the impact.
This person opted to have two Russian dolls tattooed, almost identical, barring small things. The one image is colorful, while the other sports the theme of loss, with a wilted flower and skull. Although it might seem a bit morbid, it's certainly a unique way to portray heartache through beautiful imagery.
Literal Reminder
How do you choose a tattoo to commemorate a lost loved one? The answer is, you don't. You either know outright, or you wait for the inspiration to come to you.
This person found what they were looking for in literature and created a small yet very fitting tribute to their deceased dad. They got the title of the book and the last page he read on their wrist and found a brilliant way to remember their late parent and his love for reading forever. What a fantastic way to freeze a moment in time!
A Trusted Source
Sometimes we need a reminder to keep going, and what better place is there to have that than on your skin? After all, it's always with you, and it will be for the rest of your life, just like being tattooed!
This person took this to heart and got a tattoo of one of their mom's favorite sayings, and we think this is an idea that many people will find to be inspiring. For most of us, our mothers and their words are a source of great comfort, and it makes sense to have a way of staying connected to the love and wisdom they have for us.
Emotional Support Bee
In a world where celebrities are often under scrutiny over the art they choose to have on their bodies, you'll also find people like Ariana Grande; her body-art aesthetic is one that many people consider to be a great one.
This is because the singer doesn't shy away from tragedy, as we can see by the little tattoo she got on her neck to pay homage to the people who suffered after an attack at the 'Manchester Arena,' a venue at which she had performed. It's good to know that she takes the memory of those who were part of this horrific event very seriously!
Constellation Amalgamation
Tattoo artists will tell you that there are enough designs out there that feature stars, and finding a unique one is very difficult. That's why this particular piece of ink is so special. It breaks the mold created by an overdone concept!
This woman reckoned it would be a good idea to engrave the exact points where the constellations were on the day that her child was born into her skin, and honestly, she blew our minds with this decision. One might not be a fan of astrology, but you have to admit that this is a fantastic way to symbolize an important moment in time!
Big Memories On A Small Scale
This person lost their mother and wanted a way to keep her with them for the rest of their lives, and we think they were right on the money with this choice!
They got a tattoo of a little 'Post-It' note on which their mum scribbled them a message and a drawing to remember her by. She used to leave these all around the house, which was a big part of the daily routine. Mom might be gone, but it's clear that this person will always have her in their heart, and who knows, they might even continue her tradition of placing cues for the next generation too!
An Important Message
When it comes to honoring our heritage, getting inked is a fantastic way to do it, as this woman did.
After finding the family matriarch's journals, she realized that her grandmother liked to refer to her as "Her Little Angel." Hence, she promptly decided that this would be the appropriate phrase to get etched into her skin forever. The relationship between grandchild and grandparent is a powerful one, and we think that this lady shows us a bond like this is unwavering and that you can find ways of keeping the memories alive!