The Rings

Today was an unusually busy day at “the office” as I met with four different families arranging for cremations.

It was dark when I left home and it was dark when I returned there.

The fourth and final meeting was for a man I knew from my church and Knights of Columbus in Aiken. Several years ago, I helped him when one of his sons died.

I met with his daughter, who lives out of state and it was about a half hour into our discussion that she stopped me and asked me if I had noticed that we were wearing similar rings?

Well, I hadn’t but now that she pointed it out, I was surprised that I had not. They were remarkably similar.

I told her the story about how my mother bought that ring for my father when they got engaged in 1954 and how her uncle was the jeweler that made it.

She told me that her mother had bought that for her father when they got engaged in 1951.

The stones were the same, but set on different angles. What are the chances?

No way?

Side by side, mine on the left.

The funny part was that her dad was a standout football and basketball player at Clemson University and the fact that he had a garnet ring (USC Gamecock’s color…they are arch-rivals) left me scratching my head.

What I didn’t tell her was that I don’t wear that ring too often, but when I was worried about playing Saturday evening, I decided to wear it to remind me of my father’s strength when he faced adversity.

Call me sentimental, but every time I looked at it, I felt his confidence.

Since it was already out, I wore it today.

I need to call Dad and tell him.