The Ring

Approximately 3 weeks ago when visiting my Mom, out of the blue, she insisted I take her wedding ring. I haven’t written about it before because if I’m truthful it was very upsetting. I tried to refuse it at the time. I tried to find out why she would want to part with it. I struggled to understand why she would hand over her ring at this time.

This gift is, in my opinion, the most generous gift my Mom could pass on to me. Her wedding band is a symbol of the long life my parents lived together. When I first placed the ring on my hand it felt wrong. It felt like it didn’t belong. When I stopped questioning why I was bestowed this gift, the ring became mine. I now wear her ring, on top of mine, with pride. It fits nicely on my hand. It fits as if it was made for me. It fits as if I have worn it my whole life. It fits.

Wally and I had a civil ceremony when we were married and to be honest it was because we couldn’t afford one. At that time Wally purchased our wedding bands on a trip to the Gulf. They were simple, pure gold bands. I have never been attached to these bands…probably because we didn’t pick them out together. From the day these bands were brought home, I have talked about purchasing new wedding bands. I believe that everything happens for a reason. I now believe I have received my new wedding band. It just happens to be over 50 years old and contains the history of my life. The band that has always meant to be on my hand is now there.

Thank you Mom. Whatever your reasoning, I thank you from the bottom of my heart.

CELEBRATE!

January 1, 2008

I began visiting Ali Edwards’ blog over a year ago now. Last year she suggested that we pick a word that would inspire us for the year. I chose Joy for 2007. This word found its way into my scrapbooking, onto my art canvasses and generally floated in my brain throughout the year. I found joy in so many little things and when I found myself feeling not so “joyful” my mind quickly reminded me that I had many things in my life that provided me great joy.

This year I have decided to take this one step further. I have decided on “celebrate”.

Main Entry:
cel·e·brate
Pronunciation:
\ˈse-lə-ˌbrāt\
Function:
verb
Inflected Form(s):
cel·e·brat·ed; cel·e·brat·ing
Etymology:
Middle English, from Latin celebratus, past participle of
celebrare to frequent, celebrate, from celebr-, celeber much frequented, famous;
perhaps akin to Latin celer
Date:
15th century
transitive verb1: to
perform (a sacrament or solemn ceremony) publicly and with appropriate rites 2 a: to honor (as a holiday) especially by solemn ceremonies or by
refraining from ordinary business b: to mark (as an anniversary) by festivities
or other deviation from routine3: to hold up or play up for public notice intransitive verb1: to observe a holiday, perform a religious ceremony, or
take part in a festival2: to observe a notable occasion with festivities

At first glance “celebrate” may seem frivolous, however, if you know me even a little bit, I’m not one to celebrate events of my life. This year I plan on celebrating all of the accomplishments and achievements in my life (sorry Wally). Maybe when we complete part of our never ending renovations we will celebrate with a gathering of friends or celebrate with a nice glass of wine – just the two of us. Celebrate the little milestones and celebrate the birthdays and anniversaries that have somehow become not so important. For whatever reason, I am not a person to feel comfortable celebrating anything about me. This year I choose to celebrate me and who I have become (warts and all). I want to celebrate the fact that I am so fortunate to have a loving relationship with my husband. I want to celebrate the fact that we are both reasonably healthy and have a lot of fun together.

Some of you know that my Dad recently passed away. I always dreamed of having a “wedding” celebration on our 10th anniversary which occurred last August. Because I didn’t want to inconvenience other people I missed out on my dream of having a father/daughter dance. My eyes are open now. I don’t ever want to miss a single celebration again.

Do you have a word that would represent you this year? Have fun thinking about it! When you come up with one, send me a note, I'd love to share.