Ring #1
My first marriage to Randy was for all intents and purposes a fairytale. Five years together then he finally popped the question. We had already set out on field trips to ring shop for "one day." I showed him I preferred the more classic or antique look. Oh, and it had to be white gold, or in a more luxurious world - platinum. Almost all the jewelry I owned and wore was silver.
And let me preface the rest of this to say I don't want to sound superficial and spoiled - I'm not. You'd just like to think after 5 years someone would know you better!
So, after a romantic dinner at a wonderful restaurant at Disney World (we lived in Orlando), and a completely surprise and poetic proposal he pulls out the ring box. And inside was a yellow gold ring with a clunky contemporary setting. I did appreciate the effort and knew it cost a lot - but I still felt let down. Years later when I watched the Sex and the City episode when Aidan gave Carrie the "wrong" ring, I could so relate!
I should have know right there and then that Randy didn't understand me, or get me, as much as I had thought or hoped. The yellow gold writing was on the wall and I refused to see it! Four years later we were divorced. The marriage was over well before that.
Ring #2
I thought I'd found true love the second time around. I thought he was caring, supportive, in touch with his feelings. That's what I was led to believe. Oh, and he had some financial troubles. But that was his ex wife's fault. I believed it all because I so wanted to believe it. I needed to believe it. My mom had just died and that good ol' biological clock was ticking loudly.
Less than a year after we started dating we got married. And Craig couldn't afford the ring. Lucky for me I had a store charge account with a low balance. I had to buy my own wedding ring. It was serviceable, it was white gold at least, but I was the purchaser. It kind of cast a shadow over it all - know what I mean?!
Ring #3
Craig felt bad that he couldn't get me the ring he wanted. I'll credit him with that much. Several years into the marriage he had a bonus check that he wanted to use to buy me my dream ring. And it was. A gorgeous wide pave band in white gold. Of course it was perfect for me - I got to choose it! Trouble was, due to the shape of the band, it trapped water in it which made my finger break out! This lead to me taking it off in a public restroom to dry my hands. Add an infant in a stroller and a toddler running out of the bathroom and you get one lost ring.
Poetic, huh? I finally get what I want and I lose it. I wish there was an overarching lesson I learned from this. Well, maybe I did - the truth is in the ring.
