Michaela's Tattoo Illuminates a Life

Yesterday at a street fair in my neighborhood (always prime ink-spotting locals), I saw this beautiful tattoo on the upper right section of Michaela's back:<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXGaqDCxfOSXbSfnUCkyKVhoHSoNtDNKXmXp1_3_j6dC85oAceuG365FmHMJZ1GIkIeBsp7TM_ffsL22qZAkeNl0lUSzoGG2RhPfWdlRlNNQb61T4eQR6_yadtK1EmhjJiwPPk17ZBzcU/s1600-h/sun+moon.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5342291753289940290" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXGaqDCxfOSXbSfnUCkyKVhoHSoNtDNKXmXp1_3_j6dC85oAceuG365FmHMJZ1GIkIeBsp7TM_ffsL22qZAkeNl0lUSzoGG2RhPfWdlRlNNQb61T4eQR6_yadtK1EmhjJiwPPk17ZBzcU/s400/sun+moon.jpg" style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 328px; height: 400px;" /></a><br />When I asked her what the meaning of the tattoo was, she asked me "The <span style="font-style: italic;">real </span>story?"<br /><br />"Absolutely," I replied.<br /><br />So she told me that years ago, she was diagnosed with <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bipolar_disorder">bipolar disorder</a> and she had this tattooed to remind her that there are two sides to everything. The moon and the sun serve as a solar/lunar yin-yang. I especially love how the moon wraps its limbs around the parts of the sun.<br /><br />Often, whatever a diagnosis may be, finding out what is wrong (as opposed to not knowing) can illuminate a life. She gains strength from this tattoo as it marks a point when her disorder was defined, when a light clarified her situation in life.<br /><br />This tattoo was done by Noel Wilkinson at <a href="http://www.thetattshop.com.au/main.php">The Tatt Shop</a> in Perth, Australia. I believe this is Tattoosday's first sample of work from Autsralia.<br /><br />Thanks so much to Michaela for sharing this lovely tattoo with us here on Tattoosday! I appreciate her courage in sharing the deeply personal meaning behind her tattoo, as well.

Michaela's Tattoo Illuminates a Life

Yesterday at a street fair in my neighborhood (always prime ink-spotting locals), I saw this beautiful tattoo on the upper right section of ...

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