I lost my wedding ring. Never thought those words would cross my lips. First reaction: “I am a complete idiot, knew that would happen, maybe it’s here, there or everywhere.” But it’s not. I know exactly what happened and it’s gone. I will put a sign up but honestly unless the person who might have found it was kind and honest enough in the first place to turn it in where I lost it I don’t much feel like giving a reward.

So all day I say:  It’s just a ring. This little wedding ring of Great-Aunt Helen’s that I wear is very sweet and actually goes better with the Christmas ‘engagement’ ring Al gave me around our 25th.  We don’t need no stinkin’ ring.

I make an insurance claim but high- mindedly state it can’t be replaced.  If I can’t have the ring I got married in I don’t want another just because I’m supposed to have a ring.

The day wears on.  I tell Al the Christmas ring means a lot more anyway because he gave it to me when the kids were all but raised and the brain surgery was behind us and it was kind of like a renewal.

Now it is tonight.  I keep looking at my finger.  My 34-year-old wedding ring is gone.  My pal that’s been with me through thick and thin for 34 years.  Suddenly I think I should not dismiss it’s importance as a symbol so easily. I think I should again have something on my finger that means Al, even though it’s not the original.

I’m a simple girl. Our first rings we bought at Service Merchandise for $120 for both of them.  They were simple gold bands with a milgrain edge.  When I grew into a larger woman and it couldn’t be enlarged anymore because it was too thin, we had a jeweler add another layer under the original ring – and threw in some diamonds around it to boot. Then when I had the Christmas diamond set into a ring  I threw a few more in.  Al had created a monster with that Christmas rock and suddenly I was all about the bling.

So it wasn’t really the same ring anyway.  But I’ll miss it. It was part of me for so long.. I had lived with it on my finger for longer than I had lived without it.  I have the “ring dent” on my finger.

I still will put up a sign, I suppose, and scour the car just in case, but don’t have much hope at all and I’ve decided it should be replaced.  I’m still a simple girl. Yeah, there will be some diamonds but not more than a couple hundred bucks worth.  Hopefully insurance will help.

I lost my wedding ring (she shakes her head…).

update – it was found on the floor at work