Ring A Ding Ding

After my wife-to-be Cynthia Morrison and I had been dating for awhile, she wanted to wear my high school graduation ring. It was much too large for her hand and she wore a metal insert to reduce the diameter. The metal sizer would bend as she wore it and she would have me bend it back into place. We became serious and the engagement ring she wanted was an opal. I bought a beautiful iridescent opal with two small dark blue sapphires on each side. I was waiting for the perfect time to present it to her. That happened at a softball game. She removed my high school ring to straighten. When I fixed it, I slipped it on my little finger and didn’t return it. We sat in my car as we left the game and I said, “I suppose you want this back?” She told me later she thought I was breaking up with her, but quickly changed her mind when I offered her the opal. Of course she said yes. Later we searched for wedding bands at several jewelers and stores. We finally found ones we liked. Of course to make the sale, the clerk said my hands should have been modeling hands for rings.

On our first wedding anniversary, we visited a local jewelry maker. I had a necklace made for her and she had a silver, turquoise and coral ring made that I designed.

Her desire to wear the opal lasted until she heard how fragile opal stones were, then she wanted a diamond. I bought a diamond ring and gave it to her at Christmas. The ring came in a clear Lucite box, but I tucked it into a Pringles can to disguise it. Once wrapped, Cindy would poke and prod any gift trying to figure out what was inside. The ring came loose with her shaking. The rattle convinced her I’d bought her a cheap game. It was the last present she opened. Surprised, she tried it on silently and mouthed, “Is it real?”

The last ring she bought for me was a silver Celtic knot ring at the Highlands Games in Ligonier, Pennsylvania. Her heritage was Scottish. Her family history can be traced back to the Isle of Lewis.

I was still wearing my wedding band a year after Cindy had passed away. I hadn’t worn our first anniversary ring in quite awhile. After her passing, I decided it was Cindy telling me it was time to store the wedding band and I replaced it with the turquoise and coral anniversary ring. I often wear the Celtic knot ring on my other hand; our first and our last.