Every tattoo has a story that’s meant to be told, shared, celebrated and experienced. One particular design that’s making waves across the Internet is that of a semicolon tattoo.
They aren’t just a trend, they’re a symbol of a silent fight.
Semicolon tattoo: What does it mean?
It all started when Amy Bleuel shared her story:
Facebook
“From even a young age, I learned how to endure and to fight. At the age of 6, two years after my parents divorced, I chose to go live with my father and his new wife. Living with my father was great until my stepmother began abusing me physically, mentally and even emotionally. I endured her abuse until I was taken from my father and put into state custody. I remained there while I waited for my mother to come for me. This happened at the age of 8, marking the start of my journey into “the system.”
As a young child, she had experienced more pain than she’d ever thought or knew was possible.
Going forward with my life was difficult because of the years I’d been abused. I’d been left with a tendency toward seeking unhealthy kinds of attention and a habit for choosing paths that weren’t beneficial for my life.
When I was 13, I was raped for the first time.
Rather than being reassured and comforted after the assault, I was held responsible for a crime I did not commit and put back into the system. The next five years of my life were spent in darkness and total solitude. I was even heavily medicated with drugs used to treat mental illnesses despite never being diagnosed with one. I fell victim to self-injuring behavior more than once and, on a number of occasions, even attempted to take my life.
I had little to no respect for myself and I felt that I was worthless. The people around me, especially those who were supposed to love me, never showed me that I was worth the very air I breathed. Their attitude toward me became my attitude about me and the mentality through which I viewed myself.”
After tragically losing her father in 2013 to suicide, Amy Buel wanted to honor her father and raise awareness for mental health issues.
“At the age of 18, I lost my father to suicide.
