Those rings sat in a drawer for over thirty years...a reminder of a marriage and a divorce. So many feelings when I looked at them: joy and sadness, laughter and tears. And they continued to sit in that drawer.
Being divorced is like experiencing a death in the family. Emotions run wild and crying becomes a daily habit. But time has a way of stilling those feelings. After all these years I am able to celebrate children and grandchildren with my ex and his wife. We go to birthdays, graduations and holiday parties at each other's homes. They are part of our family...something I wouldn't admit all those years ago. But I have seen the love for our kids in their eyes and also the response to our strong family ties from the kids. It's good....all the way around.
So, for the rings....there they sat. I decided that instead of a grim reminder of a failed marriage, I would translate them into a symbol of strength and love. My strength in moving forward with my life. My love for our strong family ties and each person who makes up that family.
Off I went to my jeweler. Together we created a round silver and gold pendant. The diamond from my engagement ring is in the center and the five diamonds from my wedding band create a circle around that center. The circle reminds me that love has no end and that life goes around and around....good times, laughter, joy, sad times, tears, sorrow and back around again. The diamonds serve to remind me that I am strong and can do anything. I have the power to engage life to the fullest and I am promising myself to do just that.
I am thrilled with the finished product. A small pendant with a large meaning. Something I am proud to pass down to my daughter and that she will, in turn, pass down to her daughter. A symbol of strength and courage and joy....that is, after all, what makes a family.
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