Love

My engagement ring was stolen...last October. We had left for a job interview in Illinois. We were going to the annual meeting where Roger was to be voted on for Director of Missions, and because we were confident of the outcome, we were taking about half our stuff with us. Friends came over the night before and helped us pack a truck, and off we went on a sunny Saturday morning. A few months back, just to be safe, I had hidden all of my valuable jewelry. Thanks to Jan's advice because we were trying to sell the house and people were coming through and looking. But... I had been wearing my diamond occasionally on my pudgy pregnant finger, and I left it in my jewelry box. About two hours after we pulled out, someone broke the door down in the garage and cleaned us out of every valuable left in the house. They even broke the window on Roger's truck to get whatever they could. I didn't panic at first, after all I did put all of my jewelry away, and our friend who was checking for stolen things found it to be there and okay. It wasn't until we returned, and I went to check just to make sure, that I realized that I had left the diamond in the jewelry box. The moment that I realized that it was gone was one of the most gut wrenching moments of my life. I remember wailing and dropping to my knees, and then Roger coming to hold me. It's not that I am that materialistic, but it was mine. Given to me by my precious 19 year old love. It had been a part of me through so many times- early marriage, babies, joy, sorrow- life. For twenty years, it was a part of me and a reminder of his constant love. The other day when I was holding Isaiah, I caught myself being careful not to scratch his head with my ring- amazing! It had been 8 years since a baby, and almost 4 months without my ring. There was no replacement. I really thought that nothing could mean as much to me. Until the day that we moved permanently to Illinois. My Mother In Law came to help us with the move. She brought with her love. She brought with her something meaningful. She brought with her a piece of my heart that I thought was gone forever. She brought her mother's wedding set for me to wear. Beautiful- not just the ring, but the action. The giving. The trusting. The love. I am proud to wear it, it means so much in it's own way. I wear it with an antique band that Roger bought me many years ago. It truly is beautiful and makes my heart warm everytime I glimpse it. I feel so loved and cherished that she would part with it and give it to me.