If You See Someone With A Semi-Colon Tattoo, Here’s What It Means

When I saw one, I thought the wearer was someone like me who often got confused between how to use a colon and a semicolon.

But these tattoos and drawings aren’t about punctuation; they’re a message of hope and a way to share mental health struggles they’re trying to overcome.

This movement is called Project Semicolon, a faith-based, non-profit dedicated to presenting hope and love to those struggling with depression, suicide, addiction and self-injury. Project Semicolon exists to encourage, love, and inspire.

“A semicolon represents a sentence the author could’ve ended, but chose not to. The sentence is your life and the author is you,” is the statement on Project Semicolon’s website.

Project Semicolon was founded by Amy Bleuel to honor her father whom she lost to suicide.

“Despite the wounds of a dark past, I was able to rise from the ashes, proving that the best is yet to come. When my life was filled with the pain of rejection bullying, suicide, self-injury, addiction, abuse, and even rape, I kept on fighting,” Bleuel says.

More and more people are choosing to ink semicolons into their skin as a message of hope for themselves, and others.

“I set out to inspire others so they can know they’re not alone, that their story matters,” Bleuel told the Huff Post UK Lifestyle.

Here are just a few semicolon tattoos sweeping the internet by storm: