I started working at a bar recently and I’ve been meeting so many interesting people. Interesting is not my nice way of saying strange or weird either. I just mean there are so many different personalities, perspectives, and walks of life that I wouldn’t usually get to meet otherwise.

The other night, two customers came up to the bar and asked about my tattoo. This is a pretty common question that I usually give a direct answer to with no explanation.

It says, “I am titanium”.

In most instances, the conversation ends there. On occasion, people ask who sings it or they’ll tell me they know it. That’s where it ends.

Tonight was different. This time, they wanted to know who sang it, what it was about, and why I liked it.

I didn’t mind answering their questions at all. They knew was Sia (the girl who swings from chandeliers, but that was about it). So I started to explain…

The song is about finding your inner strength. When the world seems to be giving you it’s worst, you can’t let it bring you.  It’s about ignoring all the negative or toxic people in your life that want to hurt you with their words and actions.

As the conversation continued, I ended up opening up about my aunt Claire who inspired my tattoo.

I have a very vivid memory of listening to this song with Claire while sitting on her boat together. She sang the words and I felt it. Not because she was a good singer, but because she was battling cancer. I knew she was putting up one hell of a  fight. I knew she was scared even though she refused to show it.

While we were sitting there, she talked to me about the importance of staying strong.  At the time, I wasn’t aware of how limited her time on earth was going to be. I knew she was fighting cancer and it was going to be hard, but I always hung on to the hope that she was going to get past it. Unfortunately it didn’t turn out that way. And looking back, I realize that she knew that.

She was having that talk with me because she knew she wasn’t going to be here. She wanted me to stay strong through the process of losing her. She also wanted me to know that she believed in me. So when she isn’t here to tell me herself, I can think back to that moment and remember that I have all the strength I need right inside of me.

The words are permanently engraved on my left side, right above my heart. My aunt made a huge impact on my life and now she continues to live in my heart. She, along with others in my family, raised me to be believe in myself and my capabilities.

If she can be as strong as she was, I have no excuse not to be.

Here is a youtube link to check out the song: Titanium Lyrics