If you’re wondering what to get your mom this Mother’s Day, there is one gift that is certain to leave a lasting impression: a tattoo for her, on you. While some children display affection by showering their mothers with flowers, cards and candy, other metro Detroiters have made a bigger, more permanent commitment.
“What better way to show your love than getting her name permanently emblazoned on you?” said Mark Heggie, a tattoo artist at Signature Tattoo in Ferndale. Heggie got a mom tattoo on his mother’s birthday almost 20 years ago to show his love. “All she said to me was, ‘Please don’t get any more,’” Heggie joked.
Kendall Orlando, 22, a tattoo artist at American Pride Tattoo in Berkley, went a step further than just tattooing the word “mom.” Instead, he had his mom’s face inked on his leg. “I basically surprised her with it,” Orlando said. “She hates tattoos, but as soon as she saw this one her eyes lit up. She’s like, ‘Oh my God, how are you going to explain to all of the girls that you talk to why you have this hot chick on your leg?’”
When her mother got sick, Ashley Drabe, 21, wanted to do something as a tribute. Drabe tattooed wildflowers on her arm, because they are her mom’s favorite.
“I always tell her, ‘Hey mom, everyone loves the tattoo, I got it for you,’” Drabe said. One thing moms are notorious for is their ‘because I said so’ advice. Since a mother’s wisdom shouldn’t be forgotten, some people decided to label their body with a permanent reminder.
“There was this young girl that came in and her mom always made her, no matter what happened, put Vaseline on it,” said American Pride Tattoo artist Charles Dinardi, 29. “So, we did a lifestyle piece of a Vaseline jar.”
Whatever way you choose to celebrate your mom this Mother’s Day, just remember one thing: A mother’s love will stay with you even if it’s not directly attached to your skin.
“Moms are always there,” said Hondra Smith, 38, who tattooed his mother’s initials on his arm after she passed away several years ago. “They always care, no matter what goes on, no matter how much you screw up.”c