I had this lotus blossom tattoo done last night for my little sister. My parents took her in four years ago, the eleventh of twelve children born to a local prostitute and drug addict. By the time Isabella came into our lives, at the age of four, she had already been sexually abused and neglected more times than any of us could count. During her adjustment period, we fought diligently to make her believe that she was worthy of love and a good life. I sat her down and told her the story of the lotus flower and how this beautiful plant grows in the worst, most stagnant waters you can find. I told her that she was the lotus - a beautiful, precious thing that came from a bad place. Bella liked the comparison and I promised her, once the adoption was finalized, that I would get a lotus tattoo just for her.
The adoption was finalized December 27, 2010 - two days after Christmas. As promised, I have finally gotten the lotus tattoo. I’m happy to report that Bella is a wonderfully mischievous eight year old little girl who loves Hello Kitty, school and, of course, my new tattoo :) I hope this serves to remind her, and myself, that no matter how bad life gets, there is always something beautiful waiting to bloom from it.
Done by Steven Adkins at Monkey Bomb Tattoo (Portsmouth, OH) on 19 January 2012.