Got this tattoo in memory of both of my grandparents who passed away in 2012. They had raised me since I was three years old. It was a huge loss for me, especially since the deaths were so close together (4 months apart).
My grandpa was a landscaper. He would always tell me, when he was a child, he wanted to become a doctor. My grandparents grew up during the depression, so they could not finish school. My grandpa said he didn’t get to become a real doctor like he dreamed, but he always said he was a “tree doctor”. He passed away from pancreatic cancer and I wanted to get a tattoo of a tree in honor of him to represent his strength.
My grandpa would tell me stories about their life together. One of the most memorable stories he would tell very often was the nickname he had for her. My grandpa called my grandma, “the apple of my eye,” When she was a little girl, her cheeks would get really red all the time (something I inherited from her!) He thought that was so cute and he began calling her that nickname. He was her “sugar plum”. So adorable.
I thought an apple tree would be appropriate because it is a combination of memories that I have of both of them. I added the quote, “Death leaves a heartache no one can heal. Love leaves a memory no one can steal.” The tattoo is on my leg/ankle. I got it in this place specifically as a reminder that they will walk with me always.
This is by far my most thoughtful and meaningful tattoo. Done by Adam X at 360 Blues and Tattoos in Arlington, TX.