Before we begin, let me clarify...it is not the ring that is "high-maintenance" in this story, oh no, my friends, not the ring...it is the mother.
If you've read around here for any length of time, you'll have gathered that my wonderful husband is NOT the World's Best Gift Giver. As in, if gift giving were an Olympic sport...well, he wouldn't even qualify to attend. ;)
I mean, y'all remember the chocolate covered strawberry story, right? And, I'm not sure that I ever told you about the beef jerky and Pepsi birthday present, did I? (Disclaimer: I'm a Coke girl.) Even still, I love him so.
But then...THEN the one time he puts forth a lot of thought and effort (well, I guess the berries DID require some planning...), I go and blow it. And here is where you learn that I am high-maintenance. (Ugh. I try not to be...but sometimes? Well, sometimes I just can't help it.)
So, a week or so before Mother's Day this year, the Mr. was looking at photos on his phone and I happened to glance over just as he was (trying to) quickly swipe past what was, undeniably, a photo of a ring setting. A MOTHER'S RING setting.
Nice, right?
Well...yeah. Only, I've never been a traditional "Mother's Ring" kind of girl. My childrens' birth months meshed together create a color scheme reminiscent of that one time I drank too much Captain Morgan in high school and barfed until the cows came home. Add in the long skinny fingers connected to my blocky hands and any thin band looks wonky on me. Plus, I've just never been a fan of Mother's Rings.
Anyway, I see this ring setting photo, feel a bit of panic rise in my throat and toss out a "Yeah, um...you should probably run anything like that past me, first." Turns out, it was already a done deal...I just didn't know it.
*insert foot in mouth*
Shortly before that, however, my sister-in-law had three unique, thin diamond bands (one for each of her children) soldered together and called it her Mother's Ring...and I was sold. Only...slight problem.
FIVE KIDS. Oy. Can you imagine the width of THAT ring?! I mean, I know I'm no skinny band girl, but yeesh. I'm not sure that even MY fingers could handle a ring of that magnitude.
So, Mother's Day rolls around, my handsome hubby snuck out of the house early to buy a card and comes back with a bag of Sour Patch Kids and the aforementioned card. I kiss him, thank him, and turn around to finish getting ready for church when he says, "WAIT! You should really try one of those Sour Patch Kids...they're super fresh!" and having been married to him for 13 years I realized there was something more in that bag of delicious candy.
I open the bag and there lies a small box...and I start to have heart palpitations and thoughts like "Oh no. How do I handle this?!" run through my mind and sure enough...there it is. That Mother's Ring. The unfortunate melding of birthstones that activates my gag reflex...that ring that makes me feel as though I should be 20-30 years older to wear it.
My heart sinks...and not because of the ring. My heart sank because here my wonderful, amazing, hard working, fabulous husband gave me an incredibly thoughtful gift and all I could think was "BUT I DON'T WANT IT!!!". What kind of spoiled, selfish brat does that?!
Me. Apparently.
He gave me a crooked grin and said, "If you really don't like it, they said they'd work with you on something. You can't return it, but they'll apply it toward a different ring."
Why...WHY can't I just be happy and satisfied with it? WHY??? And so I ruined my own Mother's Day. By feeling so guilty.
By being so high-maintenance and spoiled that I couldn't just be pleased as punch. I knew I'd never wear it.
And so, after much consideration and discussion with my hubby...THIS is my new, non-traditional, ABSOLUTELY LOVE IT, Mother's Ring (yeesh, are my hands ever ugly...):
A band for each one of my children. My 2 beautiful, dainty daughters represented by the beautiful, dainty diamond bands and my 3 strong, sturdy, handsome sons represented by the strong, sturdy, solid bands.
And each band? Held together by a strong, wide base...which I like to think represents my husband. The strong base of our family.
That, my friends, is the story of my "High-Maintenance Mother"'s Ring.
If you've read around here for any length of time, you'll have gathered that my wonderful husband is NOT the World's Best Gift Giver. As in, if gift giving were an Olympic sport...well, he wouldn't even qualify to attend. ;)
I mean, y'all remember the chocolate covered strawberry story, right? And, I'm not sure that I ever told you about the beef jerky and Pepsi birthday present, did I? (Disclaimer: I'm a Coke girl.) Even still, I love him so.
But then...THEN the one time he puts forth a lot of thought and effort (well, I guess the berries DID require some planning...), I go and blow it. And here is where you learn that I am high-maintenance. (Ugh. I try not to be...but sometimes? Well, sometimes I just can't help it.)
So, a week or so before Mother's Day this year, the Mr. was looking at photos on his phone and I happened to glance over just as he was (trying to) quickly swipe past what was, undeniably, a photo of a ring setting. A MOTHER'S RING setting.
Nice, right?
Well...yeah. Only, I've never been a traditional "Mother's Ring" kind of girl. My childrens' birth months meshed together create a color scheme reminiscent of that one time I drank too much Captain Morgan in high school and barfed until the cows came home. Add in the long skinny fingers connected to my blocky hands and any thin band looks wonky on me. Plus, I've just never been a fan of Mother's Rings.
Anyway, I see this ring setting photo, feel a bit of panic rise in my throat and toss out a "Yeah, um...you should probably run anything like that past me, first." Turns out, it was already a done deal...I just didn't know it.
*insert foot in mouth*
Shortly before that, however, my sister-in-law had three unique, thin diamond bands (one for each of her children) soldered together and called it her Mother's Ring...and I was sold. Only...slight problem.
FIVE KIDS. Oy. Can you imagine the width of THAT ring?! I mean, I know I'm no skinny band girl, but yeesh. I'm not sure that even MY fingers could handle a ring of that magnitude.
So, Mother's Day rolls around, my handsome hubby snuck out of the house early to buy a card and comes back with a bag of Sour Patch Kids and the aforementioned card. I kiss him, thank him, and turn around to finish getting ready for church when he says, "WAIT! You should really try one of those Sour Patch Kids...they're super fresh!" and having been married to him for 13 years I realized there was something more in that bag of delicious candy.
I open the bag and there lies a small box...and I start to have heart palpitations and thoughts like "Oh no. How do I handle this?!" run through my mind and sure enough...there it is. That Mother's Ring. The unfortunate melding of birthstones that activates my gag reflex...that ring that makes me feel as though I should be 20-30 years older to wear it.
My heart sinks...and not because of the ring. My heart sank because here my wonderful, amazing, hard working, fabulous husband gave me an incredibly thoughtful gift and all I could think was "BUT I DON'T WANT IT!!!". What kind of spoiled, selfish brat does that?!
Me. Apparently.
He gave me a crooked grin and said, "If you really don't like it, they said they'd work with you on something. You can't return it, but they'll apply it toward a different ring."
Why...WHY can't I just be happy and satisfied with it? WHY??? And so I ruined my own Mother's Day. By feeling so guilty.
By being so high-maintenance and spoiled that I couldn't just be pleased as punch. I knew I'd never wear it.
And so, after much consideration and discussion with my hubby...THIS is my new, non-traditional, ABSOLUTELY LOVE IT, Mother's Ring (yeesh, are my hands ever ugly...):
And each band? Held together by a strong, wide base...which I like to think represents my husband. The strong base of our family.
That, my friends, is the story of my "High-Maintenance Mother"'s Ring.
I don't see that as high maintenance at all! It means you know what you like. I am very much like that.
ReplyDeleteIf I forward this to my husband (and maybe sign this comment anonymously haha) I wonder if he would get the hint. I LOVE your ring! We only have 3 kids, but its 1 girl and 2 boys so I feel like a version for me could be made easily. He has looked into getting me a mothers ring before....luckily I saw and talked him out of it. Him and I? Two TOTALLY different tastes in jewelry. It sounds horrible, but if I let him pick one out on his own, I can guarantee it wouldn't be something I would wear.
ReplyDelete