I've never had an issue with tattoos. In fact, my husband has a half sleeve that I helped design while we were dating. But for myself? I just could never think of anything I cared enough about to wear on my body for the rest of my life.
Until about two years ago, when something shifted.
Over and over, in different parts of my life, the same lesson kept showing up: the power of asking.
Asking in Faith
My family - both the one I was born into and the one I've chosen - is deeply rooted in faith. My dad is a pastor. My husband works in church leadership. I've had a relationship with God since I was five years old, so this is the lens through which I see the world.
In the Bible, we're told repeatedly to "ask and it will be given" (James 1:5 and 1 John 3:21-24, to name just a couple). I can come before a God who knows and loves me inside and out, and lay down every anxiety, request, fear, or dream. Not because God needs me to explain - but because the asking itself matters. I’m called to be in relationship and that means talking together about the important and the mundane, asking just like I ask my friends for advice or help. Asking someone who controls the universe to help me find my keys might seem silly, but tiny moments are what build relationships.
Asking in Relationships
I have a husband and two elementary-aged kids. And I cannot tell you how many arguments I could have avoided - or at least diffused - if instead of leaping to conclusions or getting defensive, I had just paused and asked about their motivations or reasoning.
Some of the best relationship advice I've ever heard came from a friend in college: "Try harder to understand than be understood."
Simple. Profound. And it all starts with asking.
Asking at Fighting Pretty
Here's where asking got really uncomfortable for me: at Fighting Pretty, everything we do - our programs, our impact, even my livelihood - depends on donations. As a nonprofit, we're always fundraising.
And for the longest time, I dodged it. Years longer than I should have, honestly. It felt awkward. Pushy. Like I was bothering people. Like if they really cared about what we were doing, I wouldn’t have to ask.
But that’s just not the way it works and I finally realized I had to get over myself.
So what if it feels awkward? The worst that can happen is someone says no. And you know what? I believe in our mission to help women battling cancer feel strong, beautiful, and connected. Chances are, the people I'm talking to believe that too.
I've had to ask for money. For lipstick donations. For event space. For partnerships. And not once have I ever regretted asking - because the work we do impacts thousands of women each year. Women who are in the fight of their lives and need empowerment, encouragement, and a community that gets it.
I just have to make the ask.
Asking Keeps Me Humble
Through all of this, I've learned that asking requires vulnerability. It means admitting I need help. That I can't do or know everything.
For those of us who are wives, moms, caregivers - that can be SO hard. We're conditioned to do more than our share, to handle it all, to never show weakness.
But I can't do it all. And honestly? I don't want to. My world is so much richer when I open up to my family, my coworkers, and my faith, and just ask.
The Tattoo
So in July of 2024, I got my first tattoo.
It's a reminder to let myself be vulnerable. To take the leap. To pause my anger and ask before reacting. To remember that asking - whether it's asking God, asking my family, asking for support, or asking for what Fighting Pretty needs - is an act of courage, not weakness.
As we move into 2026, maybe this is your year too. The year you set some boundaries. Raise your voice. Accept that the answer might be no, but you'll be no worse off than you are now.
Maybe this is the year you get comfortable being uncomfortable.
Just ask.
Corinne Christian is our Director of Outreach and Community at Fighting Pretty. If you have questions about participating in our Fighting Pretty community, Strength & Beauty program, or are interested in starting your own Student Ambassador Team at a university, contact corinnechristian@fightingpretty.org.