My Tattoos Have Helped Me Reclaim My Chronic Pain

My body is currently home to 27 tattoos. They cover both my feet, the backs of my knees, and the fronts of my thighs. They’re on my ribs, my wrists, and ankles. Flowers, animals and silly cartoons, as well as jokes with my boyfriend, pacts with my best friend, a Moomintroll cartoon for my mom, and a vase of flowers for my grandparents. I collect tattoos like postcards of memories and experiences. But mostly, tattoos are a reclamation of my body, and evidence that it is mine.