Ever wondered what the story is behind someone's tattoo?
Some have more significance than others, but the meaning behind the recent trend of semicolon tattoos is ever-important and heartfelt.
The trend of semicolon tattoos was started by Project Semicolon, which describes itself as "a faith-based non-profit movement dedicated to presenting hope and love to those who are struggling with depression, suicide, addiction and self-injury." As to the significance of the symbol itself, the organization writes on its website, "a semicolon is used when an author could've chosen to end their sentence, but chose not to. The author is you and the sentence is your life;" thus, in the case of these tattoos, it is a physical representation of personal strength in the face of internal struggle.
Though a Christian organization, Project Semicolon is quick to clarify that they do not exclude those who follow any other beliefs or religions. Founder Amy Bleuel got a semicolon tattoo in honor of her father, who lost his life to suicide when Amy was 18.