My friend Alison lost her dad a couple years ago, and she is planning to get a shrimp cocktail tattoo to commemorate him (and his love of the dish). How sweet is that? Curious, I asked Cup of Jo readers on Instagram to share their meaningful tattoos…

“Three years ago, we held an epic memorial for our brother, Justin. The cherry blossoms are here in D.C., where Justin and I lived for many years as adults. Second, there are cherry blossom trees at Zen Buddhist temples in Japan. Justin was a student of Buddhism. Finally, as you may know, cherry blossoms (historically in Japan) are meant to represent the fleeting and ephemeral nature of life. It felt like the universe put me in @simbalysm’s chair and care, so she could create this perfect piece of art to carry with me.” — Jeanine (above)

“The arrow tattoo on my ring finger is a reminder that when life gets tough, something great is usually around the corner. I think of the quote: ‘An arrow can only be shot by pulling it backwards.’” — Stacey

“When we adopted our son, his birth mom and I went to get tattoos. We were both glad to have a way to honor our bond. She got his name tattooed on her hand, and I got a fiddlehead plant. There’s a larger fiddlehead and a smaller one, just like a mom and a baby. Even though I didn’t actually give birth, motherhood felt like a rebirth, and our son was born in the spring.” — Heidi

“When my youngest was three, he was in the throes of cancer treatment. He was bored and I had scrap paper, so he drew himself, holding his chemo pole. It marks a time, a way he saw himself and what he was going through. He’s now healthy, playing soccer, and being a regular kid, and that feels so wonderful.” — Logan

“The Maine state bird is the black-capped chickadee. I’m not from Maine, but it’s the state I found home in. My wife and I got married here, bought a house here, and built a community here.“ — Stephanie

“Years ago, I was having dim sum with my grandparents, and I was starting to rush to get the bus. My Po Po (Grandma in Chinese) insisted that I stop to take these floral party favors from a wedding held at the restaurant the night before. She said it was for good luck. Little did I know, that was the last time I’d see my Po Po. She passed away months later. I got this tattoo to remind myself to slow down and savor the moments with the people you love.” — Brittany

“She is my favorite person to eat and drink with. She’s the kind of friend you can earnestly ask, ‘Have you noticed my face looking weird lately?’ and she’ll give you a considered answer. She’s the dose of youthful energy I always need. She’s my SIS.” — Liz

“I designed this tattoo as a still life of my family. It features my sons’ toy swords and tea set haphazardly lying around the house, alongside a messy family dinner. The boots and hat are a nod to my husband’s and my wedding song with the lyrics ‘Your boots of Spanish leather and your hat knit out of yarn.’ Every time I look down, my heart flutters at the glimpse of the life we built together.” — Hannah

“I got this tattoo — a ‘growing mind’ — at the end of a big year in Germany. I had run (fled?) to family in Berlin after calling off my wedding. What was supposed to be an escapist year of minimal work and maximal flirting turned out to be 2020 — the year of the pandemic and serious therapy and reflection on my part. The tattoo reminds me that nothing is fixed and a shitty situation can turn into one of the most magical.” — Esther

Do you have a meaningful tattoo? We’d love to hear…

P.S. More reader tattoos, and 8 readers share photos of when they felt beautiful.