Day 1 - Jewelry

I’ve always loved wearing rings. They’ve always been my favorite piece of jewelry. I think because they are so simple and small and don’t get in the way of anything. But I’ve always been a "one ring" kind of girl. Meaning, I don’t adorn my hands with rings on every finger. I wear one ring on my ring finger and call it good. When I was single, my one ring was worn on my right hand and I usually swapped it depending on what outfit I was wearing. I like things to match. When I got married, I started wearing my wedding ring on my left hand and only occasionally wear a ring on the right. So I have a lot of rings from years of accumulation, but most of them remain unworn. But I don’t get rid of them. They are special to me. They mean something. They remind me of times in my life that I could easily forget if I didn’t have something to trigger those memories for me.

1.     My garnet ring was the first ring I bought for myself. It was a symbol to me of my self-sufficiency. I was in college, living off campus, and working my first real job. I was responsible for my own food and rent. I didn’t need to ask mom and dad for money and I didn’t need to ask permission from anyone to buy something for myself. The ring was my first “big” purchase, spending more than I ever had before on something I wanted, and my first piece of “real” jewelry. I keep it as a reminder that I am able to stand on my own two feet and thrive.


2.       My blue sapphire was a graduation gift to myself. I bought it to celebrate graduating from college, which had been a struggle sometimes for me. This ring was more expensive than some of the others I bought myself, so I actually had to put it on lay-away and make payments on it. I was so proud when I finally got to take it home with me. Every time I look at this ring, I am reminded of what it took for me to make it through college. I keep it as a reminder of what I can accomplish with hard work and determination.


3.      My heart-shaped pink sapphire was also a gift to myself. This one I bought for myself during one of the jewelry store’s Valentine’s Day sales. It was one of those years when I was tired of being single. I was tired of waiting for some guy to come around and give me pretty things. I was tired of putting up with a “holiday” designed to make single people feel unwanted. So I went out and I bought myself a pretty ring, one that was in my favorite color (pink) and would therefore go with pretty much everything I wore. When I look at that ring, I am reminded that I am a valuable and special person, whether or not I have a man around to confirm it. I keep it as a reminder that I need to be good to myself, no matter where I am in life.


4.       The ruby ring was purchased just after my brother’s wife lost her baby. I was really looking forward to being an aunt and it was very sad for all of us when she miscarried. She was far enough along that she actually had to deliver the baby, so I got a chance to hold my tiny, underdeveloped nephew for a few minutes before we buried him. My mom and I each bought a piece of jewelry (necklace for her, ring for me) with a tear-drop shaped ruby in it to represent the saddest July ever. It’s the only thing I have to remind me of my first nephew, who never got to hear our voices or feel our touch.


5.       I keep mom’s mother’s ring with all my others, even though I don’t wear it. I bought it for Mom the Christmas after her and dad’s divorce. I knew she had stopped wearing her wedding ring and her hand seemed so empty without it, so I bought her a different ring to replace it. I included three stones on it, one for me and one for each of my brothers. The stones were our birth stones: December, March and October. I was in college and didn’t have much money to spend on it, so it was pretty simple and small, but she loved it so much. She wore it all the time. And when she got remarried, she continued to wear it on her other hand. When she passed away, it was the first piece I chose to keep as a reminder of her. The ring is special because it reminds me of the bond I shared with my mom and how much she loved me and my brothers.


6.       And of course, my wedding ring. This is the one piece I actually do wear, and I wear it every day. I love that it’s simple and small. I love that it’s silver. I love that Jeff picked something that really was my style without me telling him. In fact, I had no idea he was even looking at rings until he gave it to me. I love that it’s a symbol that someone special has made the decision to walk by my side through this life.