The Circle of Love

I remember the day Matt told me his grandma wanted me to have her diamond wedding ring. I thought to myself "how cool, a piece of Matt's family that I could have with me at all times." And then he showed it to me. Yellow gold. I HATE yellow gold. Not to mention the fact that it wasn't the most fashionable thing I've ever seen.

So instantly, I went into a major emotional conflict with myself. How could I say no to such a pricless and meaningful symbol? How could I wear something, every second of the day, that I hated looking at???

Matt was extremely supportive during the war that waged within my head. He said that if I didn't want to wear it, not to. He said I had to wear it everyday, if I didn't like it he would buy me a new one.

I'm not sure how we came to the idea, I'm sure Matt figured it out, but we decided to look into "revamping" the ring so to speak. We wanted to make minor little changes to it so that, as the woman at the jewelry store said, "it would still be grandma's ring but it would also be MY ring." I was hooked. Several hundred dollars later, it was re-plated with white gold and had a new (and bigger) diamond put in. There are two tiny diamonds that remain on the side and the setting is still original. Matt had the great idea of saving the original main diamond and putting it into a necklace, which we immediately gave to his grandma.

Last night, as I was surrounded by Matt's family, something occurred to me. Matt's grandma has a LOT of family. I think she had 5 kids in total. She has five grandkids that live around Lansing, and several others scattered throughout the country, all married. Lots of women she could have handed this down to, even her own daughter. But she didn't. She let me have it.

Now I'm definitely not anything special and she and I have not had some specular relationship that books are based on. So I don't know why she told Matt she wanted me to have it. What I do know, is that everytime I look down at this ring, it not only lets me know that I have a wonderful husband who adores me, but a whole slew of family, on his side and mine, that would do anything for me. And that includes a 91 year-old grandma who is walking around unassisted after having broken a hip about 2 months ago. A grandma that never had much wealth or fancy things. A woman who will set you straight and tell it like it is. Someone that won't spoil you rotten but will write you a check the day your water pump dies (even after much refusal) just because she wants to.

And I have one of the greatest gifts that is less than a piece of jewelery and more a metal tattoo if you will, to remind me that I am indeed one of her own. :)