SO, below is my post on jewelry! I'm heading to Busch Gardens with my students tomorrow for our annual music competition! It's always a fun weekend---but, I doubt I'll have a chance to post anything tomorrow---I'm not going to be uptight about that---this is MY project. I can take 40 days to do it and no one will slap my hand! I hope you enjoy it--thanks for peeking in!
Jewelry~
What? I’m writing about jewelry? I let myself ponder this
topic at various times during the day and I found that I probably have more to
say about this than anyone would ever care to know! I don’t wear much jewelry.
Oh, my---I used to! In the 80’s and 90’s I was an accessory QUEEN!!! I think
some of that was because of the times we were living in---but some of it was
because life was slower for me during those years. I had time to shop for
accessories; I had time to look for just the right pair of earrings; I had
money to burn, I guess. Not so much now. Children came along. David went back
to school. Private school came along; part-time work came along; soccer and
drama and another baby came along and I was just happy to get the basics on.
That’s where I live today jewelry-wise. I live in the watch? check! rings? check! earrings? check! Necklace? check! LET’S
GOOOOO!
My mom has a lot of jewelry---a lot of FINE jewelry. For
years my father ALWAYS got her jewelry as gifts. Then, my Junior year in High
School we were robbed and he decided he wouldn’t get her jewelry anymore…and he
hasn’t much since. She still has LOTS of nice jewelry, but not a lot of recent
purchases. If I had a picture of her wedding ring, I’d put it here---there’s a
long story to it---I’m not sure I want to write it out here---so, here’s the
short story. Mama has a simple band and diamond solitaire that she wore for 35
years. Then, my dad found this REALLY big, dare I say, gawdy ring that looks
like gold nuggets and he put a huge diamond in it and she wears it WITH her
band and solitaire. So, THREE rings on one finger! It suits her---but, it would
take up over half my finger!!
But, back to me! ;D This picture wasn’t staged---this is
my jewelry pile---I’ll occasionally pull out a different set of earrings, but
this is my 6 out of 7 days a week stash. It consists of two necklaces—one silver,
one gold; three sets of earrings-silver, my diamond studs, and my blue topaz
ones; three rings---I trade out between the topaz and the pearl ring, and I
always wear my wedding ring. The pearl ring belonged to my mom, but she gave it
to me not too long ago. The silver earrings and necklace are from my sister,
Shannon. Everything else was given to me by David.
So, did you see how I just skimmed right over the wedding
ring thing? Yep—I did. Hmmmmm---it had to come up, didn’t it? My wedding
ring---yes, I still wear it. Some have asked why. Well, I’m still married. Is
it because I’m pining after my long lost husband? No. But why do I still wear
it when he’s been gone over 18 months? I don’t know----I’ve thought a lot about
this today. Do I wear it because I’m ashamed? Yes, I suppose that’s part of it.
I want to protect Joshua---he still hasn’t really discussed this whole
separation with anyone and I don’t want curious girls at school to ask me about
it and then I have to discuss it with them. Girls ask these questions, you
know. But, I think it’s mostly because of this simple truth: I’m married. That’s
it. I’m not divorced---I made a covenant and I take it seriously. Will I wear
my ring when I’m divorced? No-but some may think, “but your covenant isn’t
broken in God’s eyes”---yeah, I don’t know. I do know this---I won’t wear it
when my divorce is final. I think I’ll be embarrassed, ashamed, sad, but I also
think it will be time by then. I will have to wear something else on that hand
when I quit wearing my ring. After nearly 30 years of having something
there-ALWAYS-I think I’ll just need something---I wonder what it will be? I think I’ll feel naked (pronounced “ne-ked”,
just so you know) without it.
So---more to say about jewelry than I ever dreamed…and I
could ramble on…..
