I met Gretchen at my cousin’s bridal shower of all places. As I was taking a seat, my sister leaned over and whispered “Look, she’s got a pink ribbon tattoo!” Sure enough, there was a lovely illustrated tattoo on the outside of Gretchen’s left calf. She and I had a chance to chat as the party was winding down.
Gretchen told me an artist friend had drawn it for her, and the tattoo artist stayed true to the drawing. There’s some serious detail to this 2-3 inch piece – It looks as if it were sketched with colored pencils, with distinct lines and shading. Beautiful!
Gretchen’s enthusiasm for her family and friends is contagious. Seven years after her mastectomy and chemotherapy, she lives with significant lymphedema, but that doesn’t seem to slow her down. She radiates joy.
As a side note, my aunt overheard us talking and seemed surprised that Gretchen would have a tattoo. But less so when she realized it was a pink ribbon. There’s such a stigma associated with tattoos, so I always love it when I see someone gain a new appreciation for this art form!
