It was a Sunday afternoon when Aryan, my friend’s son, walked into the living room with a look of great determination on his face. I was half-asleep on the sofa when he announced, “Uncle, I’ve made a big decision.” I yawned and asked, “You’ve finally decided to study math?” He grinned. “Nope. Bigger. I’m getting a tattoo.” That woke me up. “A tattoo? Of what? A tiger? A skull? Or maybe your exam marks tattooed on your arm for motivation?” I joked. Aryan chuckled and said, “No, it’s going to be a flaming dragon all over my arm!”
I nodded, pretending to be impressed. “Interesting choice. But tell me, Aryan, do you really need a tattoo to show you’re strong? Or would it be better to live strong, even without the tattoo on your arm?” That caught him off guard. He hesitated. “Well… it’s just that tattoos are cool. They show who you are, your identity.” I smiled and gently replied, “Sometimes they do. A name of a loved one, a symbol of faith, or a line that helped you survive—those have meaning. But some people tattoo cartoons, spelling mistakes or random foreign words they don’t even understand.
I shared a story with him about a man I once met with a tattoo that read ‘Forever Young.’ The funny part? The man was clearly in his 70s, bald, and walked with a cane. But you know what? His smile, his stories, and his laughter truly made him young at heart. That’s when I told Aryan, “The tattoos that really matter are the ones no one can see. The way you speak kindly to a stranger. The way you behave. The way you stand up when it’s easier to sit back. These are the true marks of identity.”
He sat quietly for a while and then said, “Maybe I’ll wait. Maybe I’ll let my actions speak first, and if I still feel like getting one later, at least it’ll have meaning.” I patted him on the back. “Good idea. After all, ink fades, trends change, but values—those stay permanent.”
As I stepped outside to catch the evening breeze, I thought to myself—if only we all focused more on the marks we leave on others’ hearts than the ones we place on our skin, the world would be full of beautiful stories, not just beautiful designs. Because at the end of the day, tattoos on the skin might get compliments, but the tattoos on the soul earn respect. Ink your soul with purpose. That’s the only mark that truly lasts.
