When my son was going into the eighth grade, the
school invited those who wanted to attend, to an open house. They served
desserts and punch while the parents and students mingled with each other and
the teachers. I was in the lobby talking with other parents that came by, when
my son came up to me with two of his friends following him, and said, “Mom what
would you do if I got a tattoo when I get older”?
I didn’t even ponder the thought, nor did I become
agitated at the question. My question to him was, “What do you want to do in
life? Do you want to be a doctor, a lawyer ~ what professional would you like
to become”? He responded, “I don’t know
yet. I haven’t thought about it”. I asked him, “If you went to a doctor and he had
several tattoos on his body, would you go to that doctor”? His response was "no", as if to say, "I never thought about it that way"!
I responded, “Don’t do anything in life you can’t undo”. He asked in bewilderment, “What do
you mean”? “Well”, I said, “tattoos are permanent as well as death; so be sure
you give it some thought before you do something, that once you do it, you can’t
turn back”! I continued, “It’s important to
maintain a positive image in any profession we choose, as well as good
appearance”. He seemed satisfied with my response; but he still had that puzzled look on face! His body language said, "Oh well"; and went
on to play with his friends until we left.
On our way home, my son told me that some of his friends
asked their parents the same question and their parents became angry and
refused to talk about it. Then I had a revelation also! My son wanted to see if I would have the
same reaction; whereas, he received something better. God gave me the wisdom to encourage my son to think
about things before he leaps into something that could become a hindrance in
his life (as well as my daughter), instead of an asset.
In
today’s society, you are able to have your tattoos removed, but I understand the
procedure is expensive
and painful. It’s a choice to get a tattoo; and it does not make you a bad
person at all, but remember, a good image of oneself starts within!
Comments
Post a Comment