The ring on my finger

I have three rings on two fingers. My left ring finger has two rings; the first is my CTR ring. CTR stands for "Choose The Right," which is the name of an LDS hymn and 7-8 year old children's Primary class name/motto. My sister gave me this little silver CTR ring for Christmas a few years ago to replace the one she'd given me the year before which was stolen, with some other jewelry, from a friend's dorm room.

The second ring on my left ring finger is my "Sister Ring." My older sister, Michelle, went on a 1 1/2 year mission to Belgium when I was 14. Just before she left, my three sisters and I went to "Crystal Blue" in Little Five Points in Atlanta, GA and picked out similar rings. We all wore our rings while Michelle was on her mission as a way to keep us connected to each other.

About 1/2 way through Michelle's mission, the dark blue stone came out of my ring while I was washing dishes and I accidentally sent it down the drain. I continued to wear the ring anyway, even after Michelle got home and my other sisters stored theirs in jewelry boxes, even though people are always saying 'Ah! did you know that your ring's stone is missing?!" It just seems like bad karma to stop wearing a sister ring, that's supposed to remind me of and connect me to my sisters. I'm about to go on a mission myself in two weeks.

I'm going to El Salvador, also for 1 1/2 years and my sister ring will come with me. On my right ring finger is my college ring, from Oglethorpe University. It's silver with a flat onyx face with "English BA" on one side and "Creative Writing '98" on the other. It's not going with me to El Salvador, too shiny.

He suddenly started putting the ring on my finger, pronouncing our engagement, as we were standing near a bus stop on the main street of our town, across the street from the north end of campus. If he wasn't going to be self-conscious about it, neither was I. (Spontaneity and un-self-consciousness were two great things about him, aside from the blonde/blue boy next door exterior). Of course, since this took place during one of the summer semesters, there wouldn't have been as many onlookers as there would have been at other times of the year.

It was a cheap "ring", a tchotchke from a Cracker Jack box or a vending machine maybe, and he probably found it lying on the ground that day. It was "one size fits all", since it was just a piece of metallic-looking plastic that could be pushed shut or pulled open to fit any finger. This piece of junk was a fitting "engagement" ring, a memento of our brief mutual crushlet - never consummated, since our respective girlfriends would have had fits. And other reasons.

I'm not sure if I wore it for a few days, weeks, or months - I'm not a wearer of rings, normally. I originally was going to write "I wore it 'til it broke", but I just found it in the bathroom, among various rings and earrings that have their own tales to tell. So I probably took it off as soon as it became a distraction while playing piano or something. I think this ring was used for non-ring purposes at one time - as some important ingredient in a MacGyver-like device - but I can't remember now.

3 rings, only one of which really means anything. A circle of obsidian on my right pinky, and one of jade on my left pinky. These 2 are trinkets, cheap, easily replaced from a place in New Hampshire, and I think I bought them by the pound. Still, they look very nice, and it's a really keen effect to be able to give someone the ring off your finger when they comment on it, especially when you leave one very bewildered dealer and a lot of confused players at the casino.

The other ring is a pewter band, with a skeletal looking top, holding one of those shells that wash up in North Carolina that looks exactly like an eye. This ring resides on my right hand, middle finger, since it's the only finger big enough to keep it on. It was given to me by my best friend years ago (who had gigantic hands, hence the enormous size of the ring), when I left for college, where he said, "Dude, it's an eye." I was about to thank him for pointing out the obvious when he continued. "The eye is very important, because it lets us see the world around us. Make sure, when you wear this, that it serves as a reminder to always be alert and observant, to always pay attention, and above all, to strive for understanding in this crazy universe." That was the deepest thing I think he's ever said, and I can still hear it, in his voice...

As a non-jewelry wearing type of girl, I find it odd to think back and remember the rings I've worn (really worn, not just once or twice..) there have been several..

The first was maybe the most important to me. When my mom and dad got married, they chose to say vows and exchange rings not only with eachother, but also with me. I was 4 at the time, and didn't really understand, but thinking back, I love that they did that. I wore that (tiny!) ring on a chain around my neck until once, when I had taken it off for a 2 week backpacking trip, one of my sisters decided to "borrow" it and lost it. This still makes me a little sad.

The second was a christmas present from my aunt and uncle. Two little gold hearts, joined by a small oval opal. Pretty. I wore it for about 4 years, and still have it somewhere.

The next few, I'm not sure of order. One was a cheapie shell-inlaid band, given to me by a friend when I was in a bad mood, and passed on to another friend who I knew I wouldn't see for several years. Another was a prong set (think typical engagement ring) blue tourmaline, made for me by one of my good friends. I stopped wearing it eventually because I scratched myself all the time. Yet another was one I made, it was a very simple snake biting it's own tail. I gave it to a friend when he moved away and I knew I wouldn't see him for a while.

The next one was my high school class ring. Being an unusual school, we had strange rings. They were (this won't be a very good description) a somewhat boxy ring with turquoise and a silver VVS inlaid in the flat top, with 19 on one side and 97 on the other. I lost it swimming one time, and greatly miss it. I need to get another one, as the person who made it was my jewelry teacher and is still a friend.

My current ring is another one I made, because I found a topaz that I really loved. I need to remake it, but I love the stone and wear it (almost) all the time right now.

I give most of my jewelry away, to people I love, because I only ever wear things I love, and, to me, it's a good way of staying connected with that person.

There are four rings i wear constantly and never change out. each of which have deep personal symbolic meaning to me.

ring finger right hand: a sterling silver ring with a moonstone set. The moon is my birthname--diana, aretmis, huntress, moon. Moon runs deep in my nature.

first finger right hand: braided copper band, unset. The material means not as much as the place, for this ring. i bought it at the Alamo, a place that holds much personal signifigance for me. Everything it stands for, the noble sacrifice, the undying devotion to a cause believed in above all else.

first finger left hand: sterling band set with sunstone. i am leo sunsign, i am lioness, sun and fire rule my nature.

ring finger left hand: hematite band, given me by mcc. Hematite is perfect, it is him, it is us. He is my healing, my strength, my peace, as is that stone to me. I wear it as i would a wedding band--not an engagement ring but a wedding band, for although we lack the paper, we are married as much as anyone. Our other physical token that we exchanged during our handfasting is a set of leaf-flame pendants that we both wear.

Strangely enough, i practice energy work and "magick" wearing these four rings. Many practitioners remove all jewelry, but these four balance perfectly that i cannot work without them. But as sun and moon, right and left, fire water, band and stone they are perfectly the duality that i am.