Not every tattoo has a sentimental or emotional meaning. But the ones that do are usually related to a loved one, and there's always a chance that loved once has since passed.
For one TikTok user, her unique tattoos are a way of keeping a lost loved one close, and just thinking about it is bringing tears to my eyes.
In the TikTok, she (@garbage.bird) explains why she has tattoos on the inner part of her outer ear. On one side, the tattoo consists of two lines that create an arrow pointing down.
In the TikTok, Anna shows pictures of either side of her head, with text overlay that echoes questions others have asked her: "'Why did you get those lines tattooed on your ears? And why don't the ears match?'"
"Because hers didn't match," Anna writes, before showing a picture of her dog, Storm, who had passed shortly before the TikTok was uploaded. Her tattoos are a way of keeping that memory alive.
The last part of the TikTok is a short clip of Anna giving Storm a kiss on the snout, followed by the caption, "Love you forever Storm."
The now-viral TikTok had pretty much every viewer and commenter in tears.
"So sad but so sweet at the same time. I am so sorry for your loss," one user wrote.
Another said, "Well that was unexpected. I’m so sorry for your loss but dammit if that isn’t the bestest tattoo."
User Matt (@dogfather) who is the person behind the popular @dog_rates account, posted the video to his Twitter, along with the caption, "alright well i’m going to cry for about a week."
Plenty of dogs have quirky or asymmetrical ears, which is just one more thing to love about them. For many, this tattoo and story really hit close to home.
The love we have for our pets is pretty incredible. They don't even need to be passed (or sick) for us to want to pay tribute to them when we can.
This story really hits hard, even if you've never lost a pet (or ever had one to begin with). But if you do have any pets, go ahead and give them a couple dozen hugs.
What do you think? Let us know in the comments!
