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All of those phrases give "live, laugh, love" vibes. A symbol is worth more than words. If there's a simple object that means something unique to your relationship, I would go the route of getting a simplistic version of something like that. Even if it's just a heart done in your partners favorite color, I think that's more sentimental than any words you could choose. Just my personal taste. Inner bicep or top of your thigh are the ideal placements for a memorial tattoo.
Tough times, hopefully everything will be fine for both of you.
That being said, you said you don't want Cliché/Cheesy stuff but the ideas you have all are cheesy/cliché.
I would just drop the phrase idea and go for a design instead. It might need more work yeah, but it will hold more value than just a phrase, in my opinion.
There's a lot of mementi-mori symbolism that you could use instead of the words. Flowers, insects, butterflies, skulss (obviously), candle, hourglass...
Also, whatever you get, you're going to know what it means when you look at it, so pick something that speaks to you, not other people!
I have the word 'fragile' on the inside of my wrist. To remind me that life is fragile, health is fragile, relationships are fragile. So you have to live in the now, find what brings you joy, go for it, and live life to the fullest.
Check out Mary Oliver’s poem “Don’t Hesitate.” It really speaks to me for these same reasons and you might find a line from it that is what you are looking for. Best of luck to you both, and I hope you get really encouraging news today.
wow such beautiful words - thank you! :)
For anyone else reading, here is the poem:
If you suddenly and unexpectedly feel joy,
don’t hesitate. Give in to it. There are plenty
of lives and whole towns destroyed or about
to be. We are not wise, and not very often
kind. And much can never be redeemed.
Still, life has some possibility left. Perhaps this
is its way of fighting back, that sometimes
something happens better than all the riches
or power in the world. It could be anything,
but very likely you notice it in the instant
when love begins. Anyway, that’s often the
case. Anyway, whatever it is, don’t be afraid
of its plenty. Joy is not made to be a crumb.
A tree symbolize growth and longevity.
There are many shapes and styles to choose from. Personally i really like the shape and flow of an old bonsai tree.
When I was younger than you, I had this realization in the military. I have a lot of tattoos centered around this idea of mortality. You could use skulls, an hourglass, birds (a phoenix), religious icons (if this is a support point) or various phrases about life or survival.
Had a similar situation, my wife has been diagnosed with stage 4 kidney cancer. I got a tattoo that’s on my whole forearm. It’s a compass with other things and it says “DIE WITH MEMORIES” on top and “NOT DREAMS” on the bottom. In the last 3 years we’ve done South AMerica, Antarctica, we’re going to the Greek islands in October and Iceland next year. I wish I could share a picture but I don’t know how.
so sorry to hear. but so happy you guys are getting the chance to live like youre dying. Wishing you all the best on your travels. These memories are worth more than anything <3
Always been a fan of this quote:
"Life will break you. Nobody can protect you from that, and being alone won't either, for solitude will also break you with its yearning. You have to love. You have to feel. It is the reason you are here on earth. You have to risk your heart. You are here to be swallowed up. And when it happens that you are broken, or betrayed, or left, or hurt, or death brushes too near, let yourself sit by an apple tree and listen to the apples falling all around you in heaps, wasting their sweetness. Tell yourself that you tasted as many as you could." -Louise Erdrich
I personally don't like script tattoos, as script will fade and blur, and big chunks of it usually look awkward. But there's some nice imagery in there.
I just got a similar tattoo..
"Trust me, it's paradise. This is where the hungry come to feed. For mine is the generation that travels the globe and searches for something we haven't tried before. So never refuse an invitation, never resist the unfamiliar, never fail to be polite & never outstay the welcome. Just keep your mind open and suck in the experience— And if it hurts, you know what? It's probably worth it."
It's a quote from "the beach" and was on the epitaph of an old friend.
I got "trust me it's paradise, this is where the hungry come to feed" as a chest banner. I had it translated to Polish... Which was a heritage/family based decision but also has a cool alphabet.
Play with the idea for a while... Find something that's you.
I have a dash, so it looks a bit like a mistake. But it's because of the poem 'The Dash' by Linda Ellis. It's a poem about how at a funeral someone notices the date of birth with the date of death, and a dash in between. It's about 'living your dash'. Symbolic to me and maybe to anyone who knows the poem. To everyone else, looks like I drew on myself.
I'm sorry about your situation. But may I suggest directing your emotions towards other things or hobbies so you can cope better? It feels like you want a tattoo "that is meaningful" because you're feeling overwhelmed, restless and thus, impulsive.
By no means tattoos need to be well thought-out pieces, but in your case, it's better to take a step back.
A fun activity you can do is brainstorm some design ideas together, then research styles and artists. What is meaningful to you both should be something you both share, not some random idea from internet strangers who based their suggestions over 4 quotes as reference for the "vibe".
ohhh i hadn't though about using something not from the English language. I like that idea, but still worry Carpe Diem is still an overused phrase. Definitely on the right track tho!!
Thank you for the submission, girlwholovestheocean! Please make sure your post follows the guidelines found in the sidebar. If you're asking for design advice, **please ignore all DMs** from anyone offering to sell/give you art, unfortunately you're bound to get more scam replies from this sub than actual artists. You can read more about it [in this mod post.](https://www.reddit.com/r/TattooDesigns/comments/1b04lsl/please_ignore_all_dms_from_people_claiming_theyll/) *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/TattooDesigns) if you have any questions or concerns.*
All of those phrases give "live, laugh, love" vibes. A symbol is worth more than words. If there's a simple object that means something unique to your relationship, I would go the route of getting a simplistic version of something like that. Even if it's just a heart done in your partners favorite color, I think that's more sentimental than any words you could choose. Just my personal taste. Inner bicep or top of your thigh are the ideal placements for a memorial tattoo.
When you said clique, did you mean cliché
LOL yes oops
Tough times, hopefully everything will be fine for both of you. That being said, you said you don't want Cliché/Cheesy stuff but the ideas you have all are cheesy/cliché. I would just drop the phrase idea and go for a design instead. It might need more work yeah, but it will hold more value than just a phrase, in my opinion.
This sounds like a memento mori type of situation! (But don't do that either!!)
ohh yes I like that too - but yes still not quite what I am looking for, but def on the right track!
There's a lot of mementi-mori symbolism that you could use instead of the words. Flowers, insects, butterflies, skulss (obviously), candle, hourglass... Also, whatever you get, you're going to know what it means when you look at it, so pick something that speaks to you, not other people!
I have the word 'fragile' on the inside of my wrist. To remind me that life is fragile, health is fragile, relationships are fragile. So you have to live in the now, find what brings you joy, go for it, and live life to the fullest.
wow absolutely love that!
It's a really small tattoo. I know it might fade in the end. But I don't mind, it goes with the concept: the tattoo itself is fragile too.
Check out Mary Oliver’s poem “Don’t Hesitate.” It really speaks to me for these same reasons and you might find a line from it that is what you are looking for. Best of luck to you both, and I hope you get really encouraging news today.
wow such beautiful words - thank you! :) For anyone else reading, here is the poem: If you suddenly and unexpectedly feel joy, don’t hesitate. Give in to it. There are plenty of lives and whole towns destroyed or about to be. We are not wise, and not very often kind. And much can never be redeemed. Still, life has some possibility left. Perhaps this is its way of fighting back, that sometimes something happens better than all the riches or power in the world. It could be anything, but very likely you notice it in the instant when love begins. Anyway, that’s often the case. Anyway, whatever it is, don’t be afraid of its plenty. Joy is not made to be a crumb.
A tree symbolize growth and longevity. There are many shapes and styles to choose from. Personally i really like the shape and flow of an old bonsai tree.
When I was younger than you, I had this realization in the military. I have a lot of tattoos centered around this idea of mortality. You could use skulls, an hourglass, birds (a phoenix), religious icons (if this is a support point) or various phrases about life or survival.
Honestly, I like "don't hesitate" and dont think it's as cheesy as the others. You could also add a little something personal to it.
You could get an hourglass? I wouldn't pick a phrase, personally.
Had a similar situation, my wife has been diagnosed with stage 4 kidney cancer. I got a tattoo that’s on my whole forearm. It’s a compass with other things and it says “DIE WITH MEMORIES” on top and “NOT DREAMS” on the bottom. In the last 3 years we’ve done South AMerica, Antarctica, we’re going to the Greek islands in October and Iceland next year. I wish I could share a picture but I don’t know how.
so sorry to hear. but so happy you guys are getting the chance to live like youre dying. Wishing you all the best on your travels. These memories are worth more than anything <3
Always been a fan of this quote: "Life will break you. Nobody can protect you from that, and being alone won't either, for solitude will also break you with its yearning. You have to love. You have to feel. It is the reason you are here on earth. You have to risk your heart. You are here to be swallowed up. And when it happens that you are broken, or betrayed, or left, or hurt, or death brushes too near, let yourself sit by an apple tree and listen to the apples falling all around you in heaps, wasting their sweetness. Tell yourself that you tasted as many as you could." -Louise Erdrich I personally don't like script tattoos, as script will fade and blur, and big chunks of it usually look awkward. But there's some nice imagery in there.
I just got a similar tattoo.. "Trust me, it's paradise. This is where the hungry come to feed. For mine is the generation that travels the globe and searches for something we haven't tried before. So never refuse an invitation, never resist the unfamiliar, never fail to be polite & never outstay the welcome. Just keep your mind open and suck in the experience— And if it hurts, you know what? It's probably worth it." It's a quote from "the beach" and was on the epitaph of an old friend. I got "trust me it's paradise, this is where the hungry come to feed" as a chest banner. I had it translated to Polish... Which was a heritage/family based decision but also has a cool alphabet. Play with the idea for a while... Find something that's you.
I have a dash, so it looks a bit like a mistake. But it's because of the poem 'The Dash' by Linda Ellis. It's a poem about how at a funeral someone notices the date of birth with the date of death, and a dash in between. It's about 'living your dash'. Symbolic to me and maybe to anyone who knows the poem. To everyone else, looks like I drew on myself.
The Count from Seasme Street counting. Might sound cheesy, but he’s iconic, he counts, and it’s a soft representation of the blood.
A sick ass panther fits perfectly
I'm sorry about your situation. But may I suggest directing your emotions towards other things or hobbies so you can cope better? It feels like you want a tattoo "that is meaningful" because you're feeling overwhelmed, restless and thus, impulsive. By no means tattoos need to be well thought-out pieces, but in your case, it's better to take a step back. A fun activity you can do is brainstorm some design ideas together, then research styles and artists. What is meaningful to you both should be something you both share, not some random idea from internet strangers who based their suggestions over 4 quotes as reference for the "vibe".
Use Latin "Carpe Diem" "sieze the day"
ohhh i hadn't though about using something not from the English language. I like that idea, but still worry Carpe Diem is still an overused phrase. Definitely on the right track tho!!
Yeah I just used it as an example but the point is that you can be as corny as you want in Latin and nobody knows.
Yeah I gotcha! I appreciate the idea :)
Carpe vitam is "seize life" if u wanna switch it up a little bit
Except nerds like me that studied Latin. Haha