As I said, I’d seen the tattoo on a number of people. Enough, certainly, to notice a pattern. This mark had to mean something, I just had no idea what.

So I did a little digging – thanks, internet – and found that the red string tattoo in question is known in Asian cultures as the ‘red string of fate’. Most commonly appearing on the thumb of a man and the pinky finger of a woman, the tattoo looks like a simple bow with tails, not unlike a tied shoelace.

It turns out there’s a symbolic meaning behind this small tattoo, and one that has its roots in romance and hope. The story reportedly comes from the Chinese tale of a matchmaker who knows the person each of us is fated to be together with.

Of course, the idea of being destined or fated to meet someone else isn’t reserved exclusively for romantic endeavors, just as the concept of being connected to someone else via an invisible bond isn’t confined to just one culture, but rather present in virtually all.

In this instance, the red string of fate implies that two people are destined lovers, irrespective of place, time, or circumstances. For some, that’s a warming, comforting thought. Others, however, would surely prefer to be wholly in charge of their own destiny.