Girlfriend’s Family Shocks Man After Fearing They’d Judge His Tattoos (Exclusive)

Sydney Long and Sean Reen had been dating for about seven months when they decided it was time to take things to the next level and meet each other’s extended family.

Given that Long’s family was already planning a reunion in Mackinac Island, Mich., in July, she thought it presented the perfect opportunity to fully introduce her boyfriend to her wider family circle. 

“Around that time, Sean found out he’d be deploying soon. He is an active-duty officer in the United States Marine Corps,” Long, 26, tells PEOPLE exclusively. “Since he’d be gone for six months, I really wanted him to meet everyone before he left.” 

While Reen was excited to meet his partner’s loved ones, he was also nervous about how he’d be perceived – especially with a distinctive tattoo sleeve on his left arm. 

Knowing how he was feeling, Long talked to her family about his sleeve “ahead of the trip.” Although tattoos are perfectly acceptable in her family, no one had more than a few, so she decided to give them a heads-up beforehand.

“I brought it up in advance to help ease his mind and with hopes that it wouldn’t become a big topic of conversation when he arrived,” she shares.

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“Sean means a lot to me and my family knew that. Introducing someone to my extended family is a big deal and I genuinely wanted them to love him as much as I do,” Long adds. “I didn’t want anyone to pre-judge him based on appearances, so I mentioned the tattoo to my grandparents ahead of time.”

Long, however, never expected that a brief conversation with her grandma would inspire such a thoughtful and deeply moving gesture.

“After hearing that Sean was coming and that there were some nerves around his tattoo, [my grandma] came up with this hilarious and beautiful way to break the ice,” Long says. 

To make Reen feel comfortable and truly welcomed, Long’s entire extended family wore fake tattoo sleeves to the reunion. 

From her Granny and Pappy to her mom, dad, sister, soon-to-be brother-in-law, uncles, aunts and cousins – everyone took part. 

“At first, Sean didn’t even notice the fake sleeves on my Granny and Pappy. He shook their hands and introduced himself like normal,” Long recalls. “It wasn’t until he saw my mom waving that he realized she had a fake sleeve on.” 

Reen’s initial nerves and shock quickly turned into a wide smile and laughter. That night, he even texted his parents, eager to share the experience. 

“[My grandma] knew how much [Sean] meant to me and she wanted to show him that he was already part of the family,” Long shares. “This says a lot about my family and the type of people they are. I am truly blessed to have such a supportive home base.” 

In the end, the tattoo didn’t matter to Long’s family at all. What meant the most to them was seeing her with someone who genuinely cared for her and treated her with love and respect.

“My family didn’t have to do anything, but they chose to show up for me and for Sean with open hearts and open minds. That’s love,” Long tells PEOPLE.

“That simple, thoughtful gesture of wearing the tattoo sleeves meant more than any of us could have expected. It reminded me that love often shows up in the little things and those little things matter more than we realize.”