If any kind of tattoo is both infamous and popular, it’s the one that couples get to honor their relationship. There’s nothing wrong with the tattoos themselves, but the problem is that something you once loved turns into something you hate and regret when the relationship is over. This happens because the couples that get tattoos together do it as a sign of commitment and a promise: a permanent reminder that they will always be together and they will always love each other. Of course, that doesn’t always happen. Everybody knows that the majority of those relationships will end eventually, but in the midst of love and infatuation we always think we’re the exception. None of those couples get the tattoos with the looming break up in mind. If they did, they wouldn’t be getting a tattoo together, right? Should a realistic mindset prevent you from getting a matching tattoo with the person you love at that moment?
A lot of people believe that the idea of death enhances life, and in a similar way, the certainty that a relationship will eventually end can intensify the moments you spend together. I would take that further to say that I love the idea of a couple getting matching tattoos while being perfectly aware that their relationship will probably end, that problems will emerge and cause a bad break up, or that their love will simply wither and die over time. I can picture them breaking up and carrying on with their new lives with a bittersweet reminder that they were once together, embracing that bittersweet feeling because the expired relationship not only taught them a lot about themselves and about life, but left them with a beautiful tattoo that they have no intention of removing.
It’s even a little bit magical, don’t you think? Two individuals who were intimate with each other a few years back, but are now strangers to each other in a different place, as drastically different people, yet still being connected by a symbol. I find that more heartwarming than the supposedly eternal commitment of a wedding ring. If you’re planning on getting a matching tattoo with your partner, it should be almost like a soulful ritual, where you even exchange vows to honor the ephemeral quality of your union (and of all unions).
Here, let me help you with that: I solemnly vow to cherish you now, because something will tear us apart tomorrow. I vow to honor your memory after that happens, even if I end up hating you. I vow to look at you now and appreciate every part of your body, every clever idea you come up with, because later I might find you perfectly boring. I vow, with all my heart, to be in the present and find joy in the prime of our lives, because we will both grow old and angry later. Most importantly, I vow to look at this tattoo when I’m old and I’ve forgotten your face, and let it remind me that once I was young, carefree, absurdly happy, and totally in love with you.
If you liked these designs, you will also enjoy these tattoo ideas:
22 Unique Tattoo Ideas That Are Not Flowers, Arrows, Or Geometrical Figures
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