Dear readers, I’ve been keeping a secret from you. I’ve been asked why I haven’t shared it with you. It’s time. That photo up there? That’s my leg. And yes, it’s real. It looks like pastels or a painting, but it’s a tattoo of a tulip.

When I set out on this personal adventure, it was about getting a tulip. I never thought “Hmmm, I’d like a new tattoo.” No, it was all about the tulip. I’ve been thinking about blooming, and the life changes I’ve undertaken in the last year. I left the hateful tech industry and followed my passions, getting edumacated to turn those passions into a livelihood. I’m doing what I want to do. Blooming. The tulip, my favorite flower, seemed perfect.

I thought about it for several months, looking at antique botanical prints of tulips until I found my favorite one. I interviewed tattoo people and met a talented artist named Amy Justen who understood what I wanted. She works at Sacred Rose, a woman-owned shop in the Mission. She did a fantastic job.

There was plenty of peeling and healing. And yes, it hurt. It hurts more during the healing than it does during the needling. My leg was surprisingly stiff for a few days. As for how long the actual tattoo took, it was four or five hours total during the course of two appointments — one for outlining and shading, and two weeks later I went in for the color.

Ted thinks it’s gorgeous, which is a good thing. I was showing it off at a cocktail party, and I mentioned I hadn’t told the internet or family. With the face of wisdom and honesty, my friend Arin (who is a new parent) said, “Molly, who cares. You’re in your thirties, it’s gorgeous, you’re happy — who cares.” And that is exactly what this tattoo is about, acceptance and life path and maturity.

More and different life blooms coming soon. xoxo