The Perfect Gift

NOTE: this could be labeled as "sappy" by some....

April 2006 I felt something pinching me on my left ring finger. Upon further examination, I discovered that my engagement ring had split - basically the band had come undone from the main stone prong area. I know super descriptive. Anyway, point being, very bad stuff had happened to my ring! I immediately took it off and put it in a baggie for storage in a safe place. Safe meaning some place where someone wouldn't think to look for a diamond ring. Little did I know how long it was going to be before I would wear that ring again.

Some people would have run right out and gotten it fixed. Not me. It wasn't that I didn't want the ring fixed but I was having great difficulty in determining who was worthy of my trust to fix my ring. Couldn't God just take care of this for me?

So why my lack of trust? Well, for one thing, our family was friends with a wonderful gentleman who was retired from the field of jewels. I apologize for the lack of knowing the real titles in this field...I'm not a gemologist. Anyway, I ended up hearing about things he saw going on such as the time when he uncovered some foul play where he was working (valuable stones were being switched for less valuable look-a-likes). Then, when we lived in NJ, I worked with a woman who used to appraise jewels. She confirmed what was told to me of some not-so-nice behind the scenes stuff. I'm sure the rate at which this happens is small but I didn't want it to happen to me - especially since the main stone in my ring is Simms' Grandmother's. It is an Old European Cut Diamond - which apparently has become more popular recently...

My original plan was to wait until we went to New Jersey. You see that's where Andre' was. Who's Andre'? He is the one jeweler I trusted in the whole world. He is the one that worked with Simms for my engagement ring and then we purchased our wedding bands from him as well. Simms agreed with this plan. PERFECT...except that on our next trip to NJ we discovered that Andre' decided to retire and I didn't know the person that took over his business. Ugh.

Back to square one - which meant the ring stayed in the baggie in my safe place. Periodically I would get it out and look at it and put it on my finger - all the while wondering when we would get it fixed. Someday I would find someone I could trust and we would have the money to fix it. That's another factor in this tale. I'm not good at spending money on myself. I can always find something for the boys or Simms that seems to be a higher priority.

Time passed...

Then on Christmas morning 2007 Simms had Barber bring me my first present labeled "To my True Companion Love Eternally Yours". My eyes filled with tears. Is this what I think it is?!?!? I unwrapped the gift to find the original burgendy box and when I cracked it open, I am sure that beams of light filled the room. Sure enough, there was my ring - sparkling and ready to be on my finger again. Tears no longer simply filled my eyes but overflowed. It didn't matter what else I received that day - this was the perfect gift!

Thank you Simms. You are my True Companion too and I am Eternally Yours!