EILEEN'S RING

When we arrived at James Avery, I asked the sales lady to get out a small charm, a pendant, and ring.  She polished each one by one and placed all three side by side on red felt display box.  I called Eileen over.  Eileen quickly picked up the charm and examined it with a smile, then returned it to its place of rest on the felt as though done.  The sales lady and I exchanged a questioning glance, I shrugged.

"Eileen, what to do you think of the pendant?"  She acted surprised and picked it up as if noticing it for the first time, having failed to notice it right next to the charm she had just put down.  She smiled and started to sway back and forth.  Smiling she returned it to the felt between the charm and the ring as though done.  The sales lady and I exchanged a more puzzled look; I shrugged and shook my head as if to say in reply "don't ask me I don't know!"

Eileen looked in my direction with a question on her face as if gesturing "where are we going next?"  Raising an eyebrow and screwing my face up I said, "There is a ring there too."  Eileen looked perplexed and glanced down again as if it was news to her that there was a ring right next to the pendant she had just placed down on the felt.  She slowly picked it up with timidity  and rolled it between her fingers as if curious what it was, or what you did with such a thing.  I lowered the one eyebrow and exchanged it for another, "you know you could have her size the ring for you."  Hesitantly Eileen let the sales lady size her finger.  She returned a few seconds latter as though she had never left and removed, polished, and handed the new ring to Eileen, who had gone speechless but smiling from ear to ear.  Eileen put the ring on, began to wobble, weave, and struggle to hold on to the counter so I would not notice her legs giving out underneath her.  

Having said that though, she said nothing for a while so i leaned toward her and bumped shoulders and leaned close and said softly, "you know, you can take that however you wish; you can take it as your my best friend and I hope you stay in my life for the rest of our lives, or you can take it as and engagement ring."  Here my friends, is where she quickly regained her legs, Laughing!  Yes, laughing so loud the entire store turned around to see the source of the amusement.  She proceeded to laugh, to laugh, and to laugh some more.  "You know Eileen; at some point you do need to let me know how you're going to take it."  For brief moments she would appear to compose herself as if about to answer; but the instant she took her first breath to speak it would be followed by yet even more laughter.

So I took my laughing love to the car, and about two hours later of her laughter and giggles, while we sat in my living room I repeated, "You know Eileen; at some point you do need to let me know how your going to take it." a few more laughs and Eileen blurts out, "So when we get married....."  "Whoa! Whoa! what happened to my answer," I said; and the chorus of giggles renewed!

Apparently I choose well, Eileen likes her ring so much she really has no interest in parting with it for our wedding.  We looked at other bands, and some at James Avery have Hebrew scripture engraved and we like the idea of the quote from Song of Solomon 2:16.  After some discussion and more importantly prayer we decided to engrave the interior of her ring with a simplified "I am my Beloved's" that above all would be a play on words and dual in meaning: my beloved=Tommy; my Beloved's=God.  We trust their is no confusion between the two, we are not. =)

THOMAS' RING

When Tom was confirmed he received a bible and ring with a cross engraved in it which he wore daily.  Though he cherished both gifts, he did not want to become overly enamored with the gifts rather than the Giver of Gifts; therefore, when the occasion arose and he was asked, he gave the bible away to a young boy who was "Asking" about the faith, and the ring to a homeless person who was "Seeking" to discover God's Presence in his life.

When it came time for Tommy to graduate from the University of St. Thomas, UST, rather than a school ring, he decided instead to get a ring with the crown of thorns and inscribe it with "Amor Ipse Intellectus Est"("love in itself is already the beginning of knowledge") as he felt in more ways than one it was a fitting sign of the education and instruction he had received during the years he attended UST.  For one he believes that education is a great gift, that we are called to freely share what we have received, and that the genuine sign of a good education is humility, to allow our thoughts to be crowned by the will of Our God--values he attributes to his mother and father.

Now that we are getting married, well Tom said it above, he choose the perfect ring to symbolize his love for me, our love for each other, and God, especially with the inscription "I am my Beloved's" added for our marriage.  Usually of course wedding bands match, well I'll give it to Tom he was willing to wear the same ring for me; but it's just too soft, too feminine looking to adequately represent the man I know him to be.  We looked at other bands, but when Tommy told me about how he had injured his ring finger on his right hand as a young boy so he had worn his confirmation and graduation ring on his wedding hand, and suggested getting another ring of crown of thorns and engraving it the same as mine...I thought.....wow...that's a wonderful idea, so every time I see that crown of thorns upon his hand I will recall the pure faith of a boy, the service of a young man, and now the love of this man rooted in God's Love for me.