Madelyn Brouillard got her first tattoo during her freshman year to help her stay positive about the transition from home to school. The tattoo, a small sun, stands for the connection between her and her mother, and her personal way of taking action to combat her anxiety and depression.

Brouillard, now a junior communication sciences and disorders major, said she has dealt with anxiety and depression her entire life, but she didn’t realize how to start taking control of it until her senior year of high school.

“Coming into college was a big transition for me, so getting it during winter break of freshman year made it nice to have that symbol of positivity,” she said.

Brouillard draws positivity from her relationship with her mother, which she describes as very intimate. The song “You Are My Sunshine” served as an inspiration for Brouillard’s tattoo. As a baby, her mother would sing the song to her and still uses the title to this day to remind Brouillard to stay happy.

When it comes to dealing with her depression, Brouillard describes herself as a “doer.” Besides reaching out to her mom for support, Brouillard said she also reaches out to nature. Outdoor activities such as hiking are able to keep her calm.

One of Brouillard’s favorite parts of nature is the sun — she sees it as a symbol of happiness. Her favorite season is fall because that’s when the sunshine makes nature the most beautiful.

“I like the idea of always having the sun on your back, helping you power through to positivity and keeping you there.” she said. “When I deal with my depression I’m like, ‘I’m going to do something about it, I’m going to fix it.’ Having the tattoo there is a reminder to stay positive everyday, like I have no choice now.”

Brouillard and her mother are planning to get matching tattoos of a lotus this winter. She said her mother would always tell her to stay grounded, so this second tattoo will honor the relationships between her and her mother.

During freshman year, Brouillard had a printed sunshine image on her bulletin board in her dorm room before she actually got the tattoo. Now, she has a picture of the lotus as her screensaver. Although the sun tattoo and the next one she plans to get are rather small and easily hidden, she enjoys it that way.

“I wanted the tattoo to be like a little token of happiness that I’m literally always going to be carrying around,” she said.

Published on November 8, 2016 at 12:01 am