Stay Beautiful....

I haven't blogged for a long time! And although I should be catching up on my family and what we have been up to... I cant help but come here and vent a little on something that has been bothering me.
I have been scrutinized many times for having tattoos. I knew I would be, but I guess I never thought that people would be as cruel and vocal as they are. I am still the same person I was before I had tattoos. Ive had anything from elderly, to a woman in public bathroom downing me and who I am because of a tattoo. But more recently it was a little girl, who pointed them out to her mother in the store. I could see her pointing at my wrists and asking her mother what it was. Children are innocent, and her curiosity isn't what got to me. It was the disgusted look on the mothers face as she pulled her daughter away while telling her that it was a tattoo, and that tattoos are for bad people. Her answer nearly dropped me to my knees! My parents were always good to teach me how to treat my body, but they never once tried to make me believe that something on the outside makes a person. And it hit me, what are we teaching our children? I understand opinions on tattoos, my mom isn't a huge fan of them, or mine. But she as never discouraged me from doing what I want to do.
Tattoos are given a bad name. Some of the best people in the world have tattoos, and some of the worst people don't. My tattoos don't define me. They were very much a healing process for me. Ive never felt that I had to defend them, but have been open on telling my story behind them.
I am not covered head to toe. I have 2, one on each wrist. My left wrist has my wedding date, 8-13-11 and the word Stay, my right the word Beautiful. I was struggling in life, and had written Taylor Swifts lyrics to the song "Stay Beautiful" on my body mirror. It said, "You're beautiful, every little piece. And don't you know you're really gonna be someone"
Im not going to go into detail, but during a very horrible several year Eating disorder. I went through incredibly bad body image issues, and ended up punching that mirror after reading those words. I was very lost, and very much consumed in this web of fear. I nearly took it too far in August of 2010, and after coming that close to losing my life, I knew I had to fight against this darkness that had overtaken me. when I met my husband in December, I had come a ways in recovery. But I wasn't nearly where I needed to be. Instead of judging me, he did all he could to understand my issues. In my mom and Chad I found my strength to move pass that struggle and find the beauty in life. They saved me. So when I got my tattoo on our Honeymoon in San Francisco, I chose to put our wedding date. That was the day I made a promise to myself, Chad, and my family to continue on my path to staying healthy. And the song title "Stay Beautiful" In a place that I would see everytime I ate or got ready for the day, that would remind me that I am beautiful, and to stay that way. Being somewhere that could be a constant reminder to me, also means that it is in a place that everyone gets to see as well.
I am not in any way saying that people cant have their own opinions, but that is exactly it. Keep them your own opinions, don't stray others to believe your views. And its okay to teach your children to love and respect their bodies, and even teach them religious views on tattoos. But its not fair to them to blur their own judgment on who is good and bad based on an outwardly appearance. I am LDS I fully understand the views of the church on tattoos, and I am not justifying myself in anyway. In my own opinion I love tattoos, I think that if done right, for the right reasons, they can be a work of art. Used for healing, remembrance, or memory. I don't know if I will ever get another tattoo, and if I do, I am sure that it will be something I am just as proud of. I don't do  regrets. Ive made many mistakes in my life and have chosen to believe that regrets don't get you anywhere. And my choices for tattoos is definitely something  that I have never regretted or questioned, even when I am being scrutinized.
Sorry for the vent, but sometimes I think that people need to be reminded that its not whats on the outside, in many different issues. And if I don't call it out when I see it, who else will.