Jewelry Boutique

So I've had this idea for a 3/4 sleeve I want to get. I have a strong belief in eternal life, mostly in reincarnation and the likes. I'm Irish, and the celtic tree and the story behind it has always been interesting to me. The only proglem is I hate the look of celtic tree tattoos and I want to put my own spin on it. For my sleeve, I want a very scary looking tree, almost Tim Burton looking. I want all the creepy clouds and moon and night sky behind it. At the base of the tree, to represent death, I want a sad looking skeleton holding itself up on the tree. My only problem is I can't think of a good symbol for life. Don't tell me an angel, that doesn't represent life, and I don't want something overly religious. If you have any ideas I would greatly appreciate it. Also, if this symbol could be a being, anything at all (animal, human, otherworld) it would make the tattoo more appealing to me. Thanks!