Wednesday, May 23, 2012

31 Things :: Story 1 - Jewelry



I’ve never been much of a bling girl, at most wearing a ring or two and maybe a necklace. Being a work at home mom with a 4 year old, there are many days when I don’t even have time to take a shower and putting on jewelry just feels wrong when you’re stinky and dirty. However, I make a conscious effort to put on at least my wedding ring because I want to remind myself often what a lucky girl I am to be married to my best friend.

This month we’re celebrating our ten year wedding anniversary. I remember when we went looking at rings before we got engaged. It was at Persin & Robbin in downtown Arlington Heights with Cliff, an old family friend of Jeff’s. We looked at many rings, but I was drawn to this one. I loved the princess cut diamond, and how it floated above the band of diamonds. The one we saw in the store was white gold, but I really wanted yellow gold because I wasn’t much of a “silver” jewelry girl at the time and figured the yellow gold would be more timeless.

The engagement ring was custom made. The band in yellow gold with a channel of diamonds, and the princess cut diamond floats above in a white gold setting. The wedding band was tricky to design since the setting on the engagement ring jutted out, and I didn’t want the two to be soldered together. I wanted the option to be able to wear the wedding band on its own (as my mom said, “I can’t see you changing poopy diapers with that diamond!”). They did a fantastic job – the rings looks fabulous together, but equally gorgeous on their own.

Ten years ago this month Jeff placed this wedding ring on my finger – engraved with the word “Forever” – and we became one. Our priest told us that day that marriage is a miracle in progress, and those words couldn’t have been more appropriate.  Together we’ve faced job loss, depression, illness, death of loved ones, pregnancy loss and infertility. Each obstacle was difficult to face individually but we always knew the other was there, and with the grace of God we found the strength to overcome and move forward together.  Our marriage is definitely a miracle in progress and just like this wedding band, I’m excited to see what God has in store for us around the bend.

I’m proud to wear this ring everyday (even when I’m stinky!), and count my marriage as one of the greatest blessings in my life.

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