An Engagement Ring

by Hellon   Sep 17, 2013


A token of love
and a promise of forever...

My mother's hands were tiny
and her fingers slim.

She wore her engagement ring
and narrow wedding band
for fifty years...never taking them off
although, she scrubbed floors
for others all her life...still
these rings were worn with
a certain pride. There were never
any others.

I sadly removed these precious
pieces of jewellery when I buried
her...placing them on
my own finger

and...

for seven long years
they have remained there.

The engagement ring is
nothing spectacular
just three small diamonds
(she used to tell me they
meant "I Love You")
but...I could never imagine
intimate moments between my
parents...she was my Mum and
he was my Dad...that was all.

Today, I took them off to clean
and I noticed, for the first time,
the engagement ring is engraved
with initials that are not my parents,
E.G. to A.F. and...the date is also wrong

So...

My mother spent fifty years
wearing a ring that was not hers,
it would have been bought from
a pawn shop I imagine
and yet...for all these years
she wore it with pride
and not once did I see
her small finger without it...

@Hellon 17th September 2013

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Latest Comments

  • 11 years ago

    by Hannah Lizette

    This is so touching, Hellon! The initials was a complete shock to me as I wasn't sure how this story was going to play out... but I'm so glad you shared. It's beautiful.

    A story of two hard working people who fell in love and never stopped. Fifty years worth of memories, some you have shared and some you have not... but that ring symbolizes it. He worked hard to provide that ring to her, whether he bought it at a pawn shop or off someone, it doesn't matter... once he slipped it on her finger, it was hers and she cherished it with all of her heart.

    I love that you wear this ring of hers, how you admired it when you were younger and now that it is yours and you have learned something new, but it was still your mothers and it will always be a part of you as well.

    <3

  • 11 years ago

    by Baby Rainbow

    Wow! What a unique and touching story. It holds so much inside of it, not sure where to start.

    Firsty, I feel really connected to the poem in the way that the ring can mean everything to someone, they wear it because it signifies their love from the person who gave them it. Funny how a little piece of gold or silver can achieve this, but it does.

    I really loved the detail you spent over your mother's hands, like you paid close attention to the ring on her finger and perhaps you even thought this ring was beautiful when you were younger and imagined your engagement ring when you were older. But the pride of your mother is evident in the lines here from start to finish.

    It was sad to imagine you having to take the rings off, but then a nice thought that you now had them to keep, and perhaps pass on. I think this is what a lot of families do with jewellery.

    The story was sad in some ways that the ring was indeed someone else's. I did not imagine that is where you would go with this story so I was quite shocked, however, I appreciate that money was so hard to come by back then and think it then makes the poem even more touching, the fact he went to great length to get her the ring.

    And I wonder, if perhaps she knew all along that it was not hers truly, I guess we will never know that? Or maybe she really did not know. Either way though, the story is so very sweet and I love poems based on older times or older generations and the different life it was back then.

    Loved this one!!

  • 11 years ago

    by L

    (she used to tell me the
    meant "I Love You" )

    ^ I think there's a small typo on "tell me the(they) meant..

    An engagement Ring for all I know can be a doughnut. Would I be happy with a doughnut? probably at the beginning, but later on not so much because I might end up eating it or it would rotten pretty fast... :( that is if I were to have nowhere to refrigerated.

    However, at the end of the day I think what matters is the love between the couple. And your mom cherished and kept that ring in her finger at all times, I think is because her love gave it to her. It's symbolic.

    In the sense that I'm assuming the ring is still intact despite being exposed to all the scrubbing your mom did and also after 50 years.

    Though it makes me wonder if she ever saw the initials herself. The poem makes me think she did, and thus it adds a whole new value to the ring. I think she knew the hard work her husband did to buy that ring for her and the rings emotional value increased.

    But If she did or if she didn't see them this piece showed me how important that ring was to your mom.

    There's a mixture of feelings that I'm not sure how to express but I enjoyed reading this piece. Thanks for sharing.

    • 11 years ago

      by Hellon

      Hi Luce,

      Thank you for your lovely comment and for pointing out my little typo...much appreciated.