Tied to you

Branding your body with the name of a loved one has long been tabooed. And while some think of it as romantic to ink the surface of their skin in the name of love, I find it tacky. For me it has nothing to do with the permanency of the tattoo itself, but more to do with the blatancy of it. Although I’m not the greatest fan of tattoos, I can appreciate the artistic talent behind a well-executed one. I enjoy the stories these inky works of art radiate and I admire the bravery it takes to forever mark yourself with something you believe in and love. But when that tattoo is of a person’s name I find the sentiment to be lacking. There is no thought, no creativity or meaning behind a string of letters that form a name. There is no secrecy, which for me renders the intent marred, leaving it instead juvenile and insincere. Love is intimate and delicate, it is full of hidden depth and drenched with devotion. It deserves and demands a greater declaration, one that is beautiful not only in its appearance but also in its meaning. So in my quest to find a symbol for love that would peek my interest I discovered the red string tattoo…

At first glance the tattoos appearance seems arbitrary. It is so simple in its design that to other people it could simply go unnoticed, but to those who bare the inked red string it means so much. The origins of the tattoo can be traced all the way back to ancient Asia, where popular legend told of an invisible red ring of string that tied a suitor’s thumb to the pinkie finger of the woman with whom he was destined to be with. Legend has it that no matter how tangled or stretched this string becomes, you will always be connected with that person. That you will always find your way back to them in the end.

Although invisible and red are mutually exclusive ideas that make up what could just be an ancient fable, the string symbol has caught on and by taking the legend more literal modern day couples are sporting bows of permanent red ink around fingers, ankles and wrists. The idea stands that couples with the modest red string tattoo are tied by fate; that they are two hearts linked by one eternal line of hope and that for as long as those red strings remain their love will be forever infinite.

It is unlikely that this new symbol for love will go so far as to replace the wedding band, but regardless it is a remarkable gesture and a beautiful one at that. It is you saying to your loved one I wish to tie myself to you in every way humanly possible, because without you I am not me.