I squealed "Yes"! And I gazed at my ring, he apologized instantly that he wished that it could have been bigger, shinier...etc. Spunky had just put his life savings into what would be our first home and I was only 19 and a full time college student. I of course didn't care what the ring looked like, I was thrilled to spend the rest of my life with someone who loved me for me. "Spunky" promised that one day he would place a bigger ring on my finger.
My half carat engagement ring and I have been through many moments together. I remember twisting the ring around my finger after we were married and we found ourselves in the ICU waiting room on that April morning while we waited for the doctors to turn the machines off as my father in law slipped from this world into the gates of heaven. We had only been married for a little over 4 months and I was saddened that my father in law would not be around for my husband any longer. I knew that my husband still needed his earthly father and I desired for this wonderful, loving man to meet the children that we would have one day.
Months later, we searched for my engagement ring in our gravel drive way as I threw it at my husband after one of our arguments. Being a newly wed was difficult, especially with the added weight of losing a parent. I still remember holding my breath when Spunky found it and placed it back on my finger. I promised to never throw my ring at him again.
A couple years later I was shocked to see two pink lines on the pregnancy test in the bathroom. So many emotions rushed through my head! I was thrilled, but felt so unprepared to be a mother at 22! I wanted to further my education, purchase a bigger home and do so much more before having a baby. However, I knew that this baby was gift from God and I instantly fell in love with this baby. Spunky was thrilled! He had not been this happy since losing his father, especially since this baby was a total surprise! We were crushed the day that we went to the doctor and we heard the sad news that we had lost the baby. Spunky held my left hand as I got off the table and kissed my engagement ring.
Thankfully, God gives and takes away. We were pregnant again 6 months later. One hot August day, I was overly pregnant and my entire body was swollen. My fingers were so swollen and I could not remove my engagement ring or wedding band on a Monday morning. I went on to work and hoped that the swelling would eventually go down. However, quite the opposite happened. By noon, my ring finger was purple. I had to get the ring off! I had no other choice, but to find a jeweler to cut the ring off. I rushed to the mall on my lunch break and found only one jewelry store who could cut the ring off...for a charge of $25. I paid the jeweler and tears ran down my face as he began to cut the ring off. He stopped, mid cut and said "I don't know what you're crying over, it's just a ring". I silently let him cut the ring off, gathered the broken pieces of my ring and said "It's more than a ring to me, this ring resembeles the love that my husband has for me" and I walked out of the store. I was thrilled to have the ring repaired after I gave birth to our 9 days over due healthy baby girl.
A couple of months ago, I took Spunky's wedding band to another jeweler to be repaired after he smashed his hand in a machine at work, causing his ring to be dented in the middle. As I spoke to the jeweler she noticed that my eyes constantly glanced down at the beautiful Neal Lane engagement rings. I told her that my husband promised to buy me a bigger engagement ring 13 years ago. She looked at my ring and told me that my diamond had faded, my band was starting to tarnish and told me not to worry that the store offered a trade in program. I stuttered "You mean, trade in my ring?" She replied "Oh yes, we can melt down your ring and you can get a much prettier one". I had no idea what to say, but I looked down at my half carat engagement ring and I knew in that very moment that I never wanted another ring. In that moment, I realized that my tarnished, faded half carat engagement ring was prettier than any ring in that store. I politely thanked the jeweler for her time and told her that I was no longer interested in another ring.
I am thankful that I married the man who gave me the half carat engagement ring, becauase we have the marriage of my dreams!
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