With This Ring I Thee Wed

During a recent business trip to Hong Kong, I had a dream that I was on a bus with my wife, Debbie, having some type of conversation.  While we were talking, I noticed that I did not have my watch on, and began to wonder what happened to it.  Just as I was thinking this, Debbie looked over and asked me, “What happened to your ring, you don’t have it on?”  I never take off my wedding ring.  I looked down beyond where my watch sits on my wrist dreading what I was to find missing from my finger.  Sure enough, missing from my ring finger, or digitus medicinalis, was my wedding band!  I was in a complete panic, “I don’t know,” I answered Debbie, “It was there earlier.”  I jabbed both of my hands into my pockets, initially thinking that I took the ring off for some reason.  I immediately found my watch (a gift from Debbie that I cherish as well), put it on, and continued digging in my pockets, frantic that I could not find the ring.

Strictly speaking, a ring is an ornamental piece of jewelry that can be worn on a finger, on a toe, and in some cases through one’s nose.  Many of us have school rings, from either high school or college.  I used to wear my college ring proudly after graduating college, as I was proud of my accomplishment and happy to wear it as a badge of honor.  As a child, I remember my mom choosing a ring to wear based on what occasion she was dressing for and my father wore a Masonic ring for many years.  So why was I so frantic over a piece of jewelry, which I could have replaced if needed?

When we decided to get married, we both decided on a double ring ceremony.  To both of us, the rings were a symbol of the commitment we were going to declare publicly at our wedding.  I took, and still to this day, take the commitment we made to each other very seriously, so much so, that I put away my college ring, which I have not worn on my finger since that time (I am not even sure where it is).  I found a woman that I love and like the college ring before, wear my wedding band proudly.  The only times that I remove the ring is when I play basketball, otherwise I have it as a constant symbol affixed upon my finger.  So, when I could not find the ring in my dream, my panic was a clear reflection of how I would react in the waking world if I found my ring had disappeared.  It might be a circle of gold to most people, but to me, it is a constant reminder of my commitment to our marriage and the symbolic link between my wife and me, no matter where I go.