Death Cremation Tattoos

[Weemie]

im an atheist so i dont really believe that we "go" anywhere
however ashes are a little weird bc i wonder at the actual safety

 

[Powder]

In this shop in the UK, they just mix a tiny bit of ashes into the ink. Since the ash has been heated to such a very high degree, it's sterile and contains no DNA. All that was destroyed and transformed.

Many people get a black tear drop on their hand if they have lost a child. There is a lot of memorial tattooing, but this actually injects the loved one's ashes into your skin/body.

 

[RussH]

Is there some sort of purification process or do they just put ink + ashes in a blender before pu...

The act of cremation would serve as a purifier.

 

[gealach]

I have a memorial tattoo for 3 friends I've lost in the line of duty. Just ordinary ink.

I also lost 2 family members to homicide, and if cremation ink were a possibility I'd absolutely use it. It would be like having a piece of them with me always - and that can't be lost, stolen, confiscated, or destroyed like other mementos.

 

[shimmerz]

But then his dad died. Bigger loss, bigger contribution his dad had made, bigger tattoo. And suddenly, it was like a walking memorial. And it wasn't beautiful, it was just sad.

My DIL's brother did this. I think part of the natural healing that goes with death is the ability to distance ourselves from our grief. I am not sure if this gives any room for that.

 

[Friday]

I am not sure if this gives any room for that.

I have a little ink. In the beginning it's fresh, dark, and painful. Gradually it simply becomes a part of you. It's not something you stare at. It's no longer a surprise to catch a flash of it in the corner of your eye, in the mirror, or when you're moving. It's just there. And the surprising thing is when other people notice. What? Oh. Right. That. Depending on the piece it can shift in months, or take years. But over time -in my experience- that's just what it does. This is a piece of me. Very much like grief. So, for some? Not just space, but the perfect space. :)

 

[Powder]

Thank you all for the interesting thoughts on grief in light of these special kinds of tattoos and memorializing in general.

It comes at a good time. I think we all can feel a fresh wave of loss at the holidays missing special people who will no longer be sharing in the cheer with us in body or those who we know won't be at the table with their families. If left unchecked, this sadness can really be aserious undertow for some PTSD memories to come flooding in.

@shimmerz, Great point. I think this applies in so many ways, too, in all things. Keep Calm and Carry On...we do. We have to. It's a minute-by-minute ordeal some days.

Staying in the present and keeping engaged with some goal or some physically grounding business is what sometimes needs to happen to keep up the spirits when there is so many ghosts of the past to consume the mind.

I wish you all the best balance of being aware of your past and losses but keeping your eyes and hearts warmed in the present to opportunities of experiencing a glimmer of love or contentment or imagination in small things here and now.