Behind this tattoo is a set of burn scars I gave myself during my battle with depression. Burning became my coping mechanism. My
"if you can take this, you can take anything" thought pattern. So I would sit and burn stripes onto my wrist in hopes I would somehow develop the strength to make it through the night and tomorrow. Whenever I got down or overwhelmed I'd light a candle, hold a razor over the flame, and press the metal against my skin. The worst of those scars are behind this tattoo.
The symbol is the
Wawa Aba. It represents a person that has persevered through hard times. It says this person is tough.
I am tough.
This tattoo is five years old now and fading, but it is still a reminder that I promised not to harm myself in the face of any sadness. It's a reminder of where I've been and where I've been carried out of.
