Mom's last gift to her son was a page from her diary — he tattooed her 'first words' about him

Jake Bley (@jakebley on Instagram) faced his biggest nightmare when he lost his mom to leukemia. Ten years after her passing, Jake got his first tattoo, honoring her in the most beautiful way. Through a heartwarming post on June 27, 2024, he shared videos and pictures of his heartfelt tribute, receiving over 2K likes online.

Before Jake's mother passed away, she had given each of her children something of her own, like a "parting gift." Jake got his mom's old diaries, where she had written almost everything about her life. When Jake started reading those, he found an entry on the day he was born. In it, his mother had mentioned details about her newborn baby, like the time of birth, his weight, and a beautiful note at the end that read, "Only a little fellow." When Jake saw that, he knew that there could be nothing more special than this for his first tattoo. He got it tattooed on his legs, above his knee, which now stands as a testimony to the love he shared with his mother. 

Today, tattoos have become a great way to honor someone that you love and truly adore. Just like Jake, many people get memorial tattoos, something that reminds them of a special person, even when they aren't physically present. In fact, according to a 2014 research done by Kaityln Burden, a psychology student, 18% of the people in the survey had a memorial tattoo. Further, the study found that the perceptions about memorial tattoos were more positive than others. Meanwhile, Jake received an outpouring of love on social media for going all out to honor the very love he had for his mother, especially from those with similar experiences. For instance, @_j3nko_ commented, "How precious! My mom passed away 2 years ago from throat cancer. Before she passed, she wrote on her little white board, 'I love you.' It now sits just above my knee. It's my favorite tattoo. Sending you all of the love and thanks for sharing!"

Another user who goes by @zaqary8 on Instagram said, "Yap on. You honored your mother, her love for you, and your love and pride for her so beautifully. I hope you find so much to cherish while going through her things." Echoing the sentiments, @jordanafanabobana wrote, "Jake, I just came across this post, and what an absolute gem of a fellow you are. We lost my mom a while back, and so I know your loss. She would have loved this. She does love this." @rosemcwilliams commented, "Feel so sad that your mom missed all your adventures. As a fellow mom, I tell you she must be very happy seeing you living a full life." @misskerrylynn shared, "My mom died 2 months ago, and I’m literally on my way to get a tattoo of her and my dad's anniversary date on my arm. My sister had found the anniversary date written in her handwriting." Likewise, @cheriegranny11 said, "This is so wonderful; I have my husband's thumbprint and my sister's fingerprint and her last EKG before she passed. Her fingerprint has a halo and angel wings."

You can follow Jake Bley (@jakebley) for lifestyle content.