Are tattoos of a spouse's name ever a good idea?
When my husband and I first started dating six years ago, we fell madly, intensely, almost freakishly in love. It was the kind of giddy, all-consuming courtship that makes you do corny-lame things like create too-elaborate presents, daydream obsessively, ignore everyone else in your life, and sleep with the t-shirt he left at your house. Within weeks, I wanted to run away to Vegas and marry this guy at the Elvis Chapel. I also wanted to get a tattoo of his name on my butt. If not for the wise counsel of a few dear friends, I would've done both. I'm glad I didn't- this would've set a reckless, rushed precedent for a relationship that really needed time to grow. However, now that we're married (and expecting a baby!), our bond seems much more permanent and, to celebrate it, I've recently revisited the idea of getting inked in his honor (though not on my butt).
I bring this up today because Kelly Ripa has a new tattoo of her husband Mark's last name ("Consuelos") on her left wrist. The couple have been married for 13 years, they have three kids together and, because of this, Ripa's gesture somehow seems deeper, more romantic, and incredibly touching all at the same time. Moreover, it's in stark contrast with the more impetuous-seeming relationship-inspired tattoos we so often see. Let's face it, the majority of amorous body art doesn't stand the test of time. It instead transforms into a smudgy, half-lasered-off, regret-fest very soon after the ink is dry. (Even when it's replaced, it's never really erased: Consider Johnny Depp's "Winona's Forever" morphed into the awkwardly spaced "Wino Forever," and Angelina Jolie's "Billy Bob" dragon slayer now rather sloppily covered with memories of her kids' births.) Years down the road, even the most well-intentioned romantic tattoos often wind up looking like faded love graveyards we carry with us for the rest of our lives.
Given this, the answer to the question of whether or not to adorn ourselves with a loved one's name* comes down to what kind of risk takers we are and, also, how well we can accept our past decisions and life's uncertain nature. By permanently marking herself with "Consuelos," Ripa doesn't come any closer to guaranteeing a lifelong union with her husband. But what she says with this marking is "I believe in this now and I'm willing to wear it on my sleeve (or, er, wrist)." She's confidently, optimistically taking a chance, which is ultimately, tattoos or not, what love is all about.
NY Daily News
*And all if this is assuming you like the idea of tattoos in the first place. If you think they look trashy, then this entire argument is moot.
