P.INK

Day 128

“What makes you beautiful is that you accept yourself for who you are not for what you want to be like or who you want to be like or who you want to impress. Being beautiful is something from within. Begin to accept your beauty by accepting yourself as that individual which you are.”

– Unknown

I have glitter and sparkle and things that shine on my mind because of yesterday’s post. The Universe is always responding to my vibe, so, of course, I attracted a story of beauty, strength, inspiration and courage. In a world where beauty is constantly being redefined, recognizing beauty in different forms, shapes and sizes is rapidly becoming the norm. As such, the women in this story are beautiful, but nonetheless, extraordinary.

I coincidentally watched an episode of Heartbeat, titled “Permanent Glitter” the day after I wrote a post about glitter. It was about a trans woman diagnosed with breast cancer, who had to make the very difficult decision to have a mastectomy after going through the arduous and complicated process of transitioning. Ultimately, she decided to go forward with the surgery because she realized that her identity as a woman is not defined by having breasts, but by her inner strength and courage…by her light.

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Blog Beats: I Am Light by India.Arie

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The show brought awareness to a lesser known third option for breast cancer survivors to adorn their mastectomy scars with personal, intricate tattoos that tell their unique stories – a way to transform something that can be a source of pain into something beautiful, powerful and unique.

I did a search for tattoo artists that specialize in surgical scars and found that there are many choices available, and that many women are opting to turn their experience into an outward symbol of beauty. I came across one such story of a woman with a stunning tattoo that you can read about here.

I also found an organization called P.INK (Personal Ink), whose goal is to connect breast cancer survivors with tattoo artists who can provide healing through this incredible art. The non-profit started a P.INK day in 2013, which looks like an annual event in October. You can check their website for details as they become available.

Whether you’re a breast cancer survivor, or a survivor of any other ordeal, whether your scars are on the outside or inside, whether you choose to adorn your scars with ink or leave them bare, You Are Beautiful.

You Are Light.

Thank you, thank you, thank you!