Kira Jenkins and her female family members share the same inked image.
Our fair city of Richmond, Virginia is third in the nation for ink-donned inhabitants (second only to Miami Beach and Las Vegas), and even Richmond moms tell us they love their tats and want to show ’em off. Kira Jenkins and each of her female family members don the same tattoo, and says “it’s based on a charm we all have.” That’s not the only ink Kira boasts–she has a luna moth at the back of her neck, an image she drew and a friend tattooed on for her.
Says Kira, “I believe that the artists out there have elevated the form and more and more are willing to let them express themselves on the human canvas, with that has come acceptance that it isn’t low brow just another form of fine art.”
Kira Jenkins designed the tattoo later inked by her friend.
According to a Today Show post, The 10 Most Tattooed Cities in America, we average about 14.5 tattoo shops per 100,000 people. Who says we’re uber-conservative?
We asked a few Richmond moms what they thought of being “inked” and they gave us a ton of feedback. Dori Broomell likes to make her tattoo part of her photographic memories, saying “the tat on my ankle sort of has a life of its own; pictures of my ankle always find their way into any trip or event.”
Dori's tattoo brings back memories of her childhood in Kenya.
The story behind each inch of inked flesh seems to be as important as the image itself: “I got it on a spring break road trip through the mountains of Tennessee in 1992.
The artist chuckled when he saw my drawing and almost apologized when he said he was still going to have to charge me $40 because that was the base price for anywhere other than the arms.” Where did the inspiration for Dori’s tattoo spring? A song. “Jesus loves the little children, all the children of the world. Red and yellow, black and white they are precious in His sight.”
Well, white wouldn’t show up well so Dori chose green, which mirrors the colors of the Kenyan flag. “I grew up a missionary kid in East Africa and Kenya will always be home. My children claim it’s our family and they pick out who is who. I tell them I’m never alone because they’re always with me!”
One of Rachel's tattoos is both of her daughters' initials intertwined.
Richmond mom and entrepreneur Rachel Pustilnik, owner of local Stroller Strides franchise and gym and networking/educational center Mom’s Treehouse loves her tattoo, the intertwining of both of her daughters’ initials. “I love my tats and wouldn’t change them for the world,” shares Rachel, “Each one means something special to me. I’m teaching my girls it’s OK to express themselves in a safe and creative way.”
An exuberant showing of feedback on our Richmondmom.com Junkies Facebook page showed that moms not only accept other women with tattoos, they support them as well, and some inked moms shared that their tattoos were inspired by their children. Says one participant in our online conversation, Paige Stevens “I had always wanted one but never found the right ones until after my sons were born. I have two hearts that are a peppermint and pumpkin (for their birth months), and they thin kit is so cool that I did that for them. I am a photographer, so my third is a heart camera; and I feel tattoos should have a meaning and a story, which is why I am going to continue with other hearts that represent my mom, dad, and two sisters to show my love for them.”
Does this mean that moms with ink should allow their kids to get tattoos when they are ready? Rachel says, “Don’t get me wrong, I’m not going to be pushing them to get tattoos but I won’t stop them once they are adults. I will continue to explain over and over that this is a decision that lasts a lifetime, so if they choose to get one, they should choose wisely.”
Adds Paige, “If my sons come to me for one when they are older, of course I can’t say no!”
