a dream is a wish your heart makes

Here She Comes

I have been wanting to get a Tinker Bell tattoo on my ankle since my 20s. This is about 30 years in the making.

Last night, I did something I have been wanting to do for over 30 years, I got a tattoo!!!!! 🥳 It’s a tattoo of Tinker Bell tapping her wand, with pixie dust coming down, and, while most would admit it’s adorable, I’m not alone in thinking that, right, there is a lot of meaning and inspiration behind it ❤️ As a child in the 1970s, I used to watch “Wonderful World of Disney” every Sunday night, and that’s where my memories of feeling the magic of possibilities began.

Original Opening of ‘The Wonderful World of Disney”

Watching as Tinker Bell took flight across my TV screen, I would be mesmerized by this magical creature who was so feminine, and yet, even at such a young age, I could somehow sense that she wasn’t somebody you wanted to mess with. And, then, poof, with a tap of her wand, this shimmering glitter of ethereal light would cascade down and cover Cinderella’s castle and I would get this sense of excitement, like something miraculous was about to happen. Nine times out of ten, what came next was a movie from the 1940s or ‘50s, but that didn’t stop me from believing it could happen, week after week.

The first meaning behind my new tattoo is about belief, the belief of an innocent child, the belief that has her captivated in front of the TV screen. The belief that has her making chocolate chip cookies to leave out for Santa Clause every year. You know, the belief that is strong enough to withstand the crushing disappointment life can sometimes bring us.

It turned out better than I could have expected, I absolutely love it. And, I had the best tattoo artist, Joshua Gray, from Studio City Tattoo.

She’s Finally Here!

A Dream Come True 💫

The second meaning has to do with the combination of femininity and toughness I mentioned. Growing up as a girl in the 1970s and ‘80s, we were the first generation to reap the benefits of the Women’s Liberation Movement. I say that very lightly because, looking back, it was still pretty shitty for women back then. Hell, we still have a long way to go, here in 2022, to be honest. But, I have always been very much a very girlie girl when it comes to clothes, makeup, etc, but I have also always felt like I had to fight my way through many many things in life.

I thought that was plenty of inspiration, but then last night, while my husband and I were having dinner before my tattoo appointment, my husband asked what made me decide to get the tattoo on the outside of my right ankle and I had to think about it for a few seconds before answering. I wanted my ankle because it’s somewhat subtle without slapping you in the face, as for why my right ankle, the only reason I could come with was that I am right handed so it made sense to be on my right ankle. But, I love drawing on as much symbolism as possible for something like this so I did a little research to see if there was any meaning behind where a tattoo is located on your body. And, as it turns out, there is!

According to the research I found, “The right part of the body is connected to the left part of the brain which is symbolically the male side, the happiest and most positive one, the one linked to the sun and the day and therefore more active and dynamic, the strongest and most determined part, the Yang, the actions.” I think that fits what initially drew me to Tinker Bell, her femininity and toughness, perfectly, so that just confirmed all of my decisions were exactly what they were meant to be for me.

I never really thought past the one tattoo, and as of now, I don’t feel a driving passion for anything else. However, I have a 20-year-old stepson, so ask me again when he starts having kids of his own. Something tells me I may be the Bubie (Grandmother in Yiddish) that gets a tattoo of each grandchild’s name 😃🤷🏻‍♀️

As for now, I’m am more than happy taking Tink with me wherever I go.