Cherry Blossoms

I've considered getting a tattoo for many years.  I think I decided I wanted one when I was about 12.  The rule of course was that I would have to wait until I could walk into the tattoo parlor on my own to get it (18).  By the time I reached that age, I'd come to my senses a little and realized that if I got one, I should feel really confident that I would love it forever, and it should have meaning forever.  I couldn't think of anything that really fit that description.  The desire for a tattoo has never fully gone away, but still I don't have anything of deep significance to permanently have drawn on my body.

The idea of a tattoo has been a regular topic of conversation since my diagnosis.  From the idea of tattooing something on my bald head, to marking my scar with something, many ideas have been mulled over.  It's too late to get something on my head (and I never really felt like putting it somewhere that would never be seen again made a lot of sense).  Lately I've been considering the idea of eventually tattooing my breast, somewhere on or near the scar.  This would of course be after my final reconstruction (otherwise there is no point), but I think I may know what I want.

As you know, I have radiation every weekday.  I am in the same room, using the same machine every day.  In each of the rooms there are florescent lights that are covered with various picture screens.  One room has palm trees.  Another room has an underwater ocean scene.  My room has cherry blossoms.

I first had the idea that it would be pretty, and representative of my journey.  Then my mom sent me this article.  Now it really seems like a nice image for me.

"Both Chinese and Japanese cultures acknowledge the cherry blossom in different ways and it carries with it two different meanings for each. The Chinese see the cherry blossom as a symbol of power and love. It also speaks to the power of femininity... In Japanese culture the cherry blossom symbolizes the brevity of life. You see, this flower only blooms for a short period of time. It encourages everyone to appreciate what little time they have on this Earth and it promotes gratitude for what they are given."

For a breast cancer survivor, trying to create a symbol of my journey, these meanings all fit like a glove.  It is still a few years down the road, so we will see if it continues to fit, but for now, it is a nice idea.