Rings

It begins with a ring.

A former co-worker recently announced on social media that she became engaged.  With that announcement, she posted a picture of the nice, big diamond that now sits on her finger.

I am overjoyed for her and wish her all the best on this journey she is about to begin.  It got me thinking, however, about the significance of rings. And not just the ones we wear.

A ring is a symbol of eternity.  It has no end or beginning and just continues on endlessly.  Thus, it is the perfect symbol for a promise to always love and cherish. During the upcoming holiday season, we are bound to see at least a few people we know showing off new rings.

An engagement ring is just a beginning, to be followed by a pair of wedding rings that symbolize the commitment by both partners.  As time goes on, in my opinion, rings worn as jewelry take on a lesser significance.  Eventually, life and love become less about the rings on our fingers.

What takes on more significance are the rings that surround us, whether we recognize them or not. It's these circles, those endless rings, that eventually matter more.

It is the ring of your spouse or partner, and perhaps children that envelope you.  The rings that toddlers seem to endlessly run around us.  The seemingly endless circle of sports, school activities, and volunteer commitments.  Most of us also have a circle of friends, along with our children's friends, that surround and bolster us. The people who make up those circles may change and grow over the years as our family changes and grows.

There is a loop of holidays throughout the calendar year that we celebrate.   We have a circle of family members who help us commemorate the good times and support us during bad times. As the years go by, your family may grow as children marry and begin to bring in babies of their own, and the circle expands.

There is also the ring represented as the circle of life, as babies are born and elderly relatives pass away. Even our beloved pets leave a trace. Those who leave us are never really gone but surround us in a ring that encircles our hearts and remains with us always.

In a way, we are like trees.  The growth of a tree is represented by the number of rings it holds inside.  Our rings are not visible, inside or out.  Yet they grow and expand with the years of our lives.

Most of us can't afford a big, expensive ring when we are young and beginning a life together.  At some point, larger and more elaborate anniversary rings have begun to grace the fingers of many of my friends.
 
But I am fine with the same rings I have always worn. Because the rings which I now possess are far more priceless than any diamond.

It's these rings that have grown from that one promise that I proudly display these days. And always will.