Tattoos are often the storytellers we wear on our skin to give life to our experiences where words fall short. From dates marking milestones to signatures in remembrance of those special people in our lives, a tattoo is an important way that many express their unique journeys.
One tattoo artist had a particularly special opportunity to etch a one-of-a-kind message on a young girl’s arm that told a novel in just two words.
“Had the opportunity to do a really special tattoo the other day, take a second to read the story you won’t regret it,” wrote Los Angeles based artist Suede Silver in a post shared by Love What Matters.
Suede Silver went on to tell the brief but profound story behind the tattoo of a customer named Maddie, as told in her own words.
“My Aunt Tina, one of the healthiest and most amazing people I know had an unexpected cardiac arrest and according to doctors had died and was brought back to life four times by first responders before arriving [at] the hospital,” explained Maddie. “She was put on a defibrillator and after miraculously waking up the first thing she did, unable to speak because she was intubated, was asking for a pen and in my [cousin’s] journal wrote ‘It’s real.’”
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The Meaning Behind the Tattoo
While Aunt Tina’s revival after four near-death experiences is a miracle in and of itself, it’s the meaning behind her simple message that is utterly soul-wrecking — in the best kind of way.
“The people in the room asked, ‘What’s real?’” shared Maddie. “And she responded by pointing up to heaven with tears in her eyes.’”
What a powerful testimony of the way God works in the hearts of those who are gripping onto this life by their mere fingertips, to display His glory in ways that can only be orchestrated by the mind of the divine.
As we each journey from this life into the next, may we all have the affirming revelation Tina received in her miracle moment: “It’s real.”
