Ring Around the … Finger

Some people wll do almost anything to come up with a topic for a blog post.

A few weeks ago I was on the subway going downtown to meet a friend for lunch – when I lost my wedding ring. I stared down at my bare ring finger and let out a shriek. The ring must have slipped off my finger somehow. I got on my hands and knees, not a pretty sight thses days, and began looking under the seats. I won’t tell you what I found down there but it was not gold or diamonds. Others joined me in my search but we found nothing. So I got off at the next subway stop, which happened to be Bay, and rushed to the Lost and Found Office, where I met my new best friend Nancy.

Nancy was about the age of someone who might be hoping for a wedding ring herself, and she gave me a big hug. Then she carefully took down my contact information. She mentioned that rings sometimes did get turned in. After all, this is Toronto the Good, right? In fact there was a ring in their collection right now, but it had pearls instead of diamonds. Maybe there was hope.

Then I met my original friend for lunch. Before I even said hello, I blurted out my news. Her jaw dropped. She asked her burning question: was I going to tell Peter? I hadn’t actually gotten that far in my thinking. Of course I would tell him. Wouldn’t I? Then I remembered that Peter doesn’t wear any rings and doesn’t notice if others do either. Could I just pretend that mine was in my jewellery box – for the next 20 years or so?

I thought about my ring all through lunch. I have no idea what else we talked about. Mostly my friend talked and I nodded. On the subway home, I got on the floor again, thinking maybe luck was with me and I was on the same train. Of course I wasn’t. Or it wasn’t. Or whatever. I was so distracted I don’t remember.

At home I blurted out the news again. Peter reached me for a hug and said: I will love you forever, ring or no ring.” That hurdle overcome, I began to think about whether our home insurance policy would cover the ring, and whether I even wanted to replace it. But, after a few days without it, I began to miss my ring. My finger looked so bare. Was I even really married without it?

So the research began. I hounded Nancy at the TTC, without success. Then I found the insurance certificate from the jewellery store where Peter had originally bought the ring in 2008. Peter called the insurance company and found out that, yes, they would cover most of the loss, except for the deductible amount. Then, somewhat daunted, I began the search for a new ring. Where to start?

First I went back to the original jewellery store which was, miraculously, still in business. The clerk looked over the certificate and said he would check the SKU – a lot number for that particular style of ring, And there it was – in another store – one ring, the same as mine, 15 years later. Neither of us could believe it. I almost gave him a hug too – I was getting a lot of new best friends over this piece of jewellery.

A couple of weeks later, after the ring had been tried on and re-sized, Peter and I made plans to celebrate. We would go to the jewellery store together to pick up the ring, and then go out for lunch.

At the store, I gave the clerk my phone to take a picture. No, Peter did Not get down on one knee. Come on – we are OLD! But he did ask:”Will you marry me again?” After a short pause for dramatic effect, I said yes.

Sue