The Story of the Koi Dragon
The legend says that a certain koi had the strength and courage to climb a certain waterfall. When the koi reached the top exhausted, yet having reached its goal, the koi was transformed into a dragon. The koi dragon is one of the mythical characters in the Japanese culture which is not actually a dragon. It is a Japanese fish (Koi fish), which has the power to turn into a dragon. The koi dragon starts to swim off as a fish up a river and then when it reaches a certain waterfall, tries to cross it. If it is able to cross the waterfall, then it transforms itself into a dragon and thus it is known as the koi dragon.
The tattoo stands for overcoming obstacles through courage and perseverance. As the koi fish swims up the waterfall and transforms itself to a dragon, it symbolizes that nothing is impossible when you believe. If you work hard and put yourself to tests, you will eventually rise above your fears and become the ruler of your destiny.
The Daffodils (which are a year old) represents my sisters and their unconditional and unselfish support and encouragement they provide through each journey. I love this tattoo as it is something I feel everyone can relate to throughout their own journey through life.