This delicate ring, so small it fits only on my little finger, was my mother's second wedding ring. Not the ring from her second marriage, but the second ring from her first marriage. My father hocked her original wedding ring when she was in the hospital giving birth to me, their firstborn child. Logic tells me he probably needed money for the hospital bill, but I don't think Mother was ever completely convinced of that.
When my father eventually replaced Mother's original wedding ring, he told her he had chosen this one specifically because of its symbolism: two larger hearts representing each of them and a tiny heart in the middle for me. Whether that was the truth or merely a convenient means of persuading mother to accept a ring of much lower quality than her first one, the story still makes me smile.
You see, my father had a way with words, and it kept him out of trouble on many occasions. Even when he failed to talk himself out of a sitution, he was still proud of that particular talent.
So, if you detect the slightest bit of amused skepticism in regard to the story about the ring, consider this: My father once casually mentioned that he had made "plenty of extra cash" when he was overseas in World War II. How'd he do it? He wrote love letters home for other soldiers -- for a fee.
Oh my....I love this story! LOL
ReplyDeleteOne part reminds me of my own dad. My dad loved to make money and made huge sums while in the Army during WWII.He had no real interest in going "into town" on leave days so he would pull guard duty for the other soldiers who wanted to kick up their heels ..... for a fee. They were always eager and happy to pay up. Dad made lots of money, which he sent home to mama. That made mama happy...which in turn made EVERYONE happy. LOL
I have my mom's first wedding ring ...its 18kt white gold and a very simple band. Many years later, Dad bought her a diamond set. (equals even happier mama)
Val, LOL! Who knew there were so many ways for a resourceful soldier to supplement his income? I wonder what other products and services were available -- for a fee.
ReplyDeleteWhat a sweet and fascinating tale. So we know the writing talent runs in the family!
ReplyDeleteI love Val's story too!
What an interesting story! Like Holly says, your dad must have passed on his talent for writing.
ReplyDeleteWhat a great story! The design is a very simple Claddagh. You probably knew that. I like knowing that your gift of words was passed down from a talented and creative father!
ReplyDeleteHolly, Janet, and Alison, thank you. I'm grateful to have inherited his writing gene and equally grateful NOT to have inherited a couple of others that come easily to mind.
ReplyDeleteAlison, I wasn't familiar with the Claddagh design, so I Googled it after I read your comment. The Internet articles and images I found in the 5-10 minutes I looked showed the Claddagh as being two hands clasping a heart. On the photo of Mother's ring, you can see (clearly, if you click to enlarge it) that the small vertical heart is centered between two larger horizontal hearts. Is this still Claddagh? I'd love to know more about it.
what a pleasent surprise, you had failed to past for so long I had stoped coming by but today I found a whole bunch of post. glad you are back.
ReplyDeletePatsy, it feels good to be back. I'm really glad you decided to take a chance and visit again.
ReplyDeleteLinda,
ReplyDeleteI still think the design is a simple Claddagh. Or inspired by the Claddagh, symbolic of the Claddagh. I did see that it was two hearts and not hands but it does remind me of an interpretation. :-)
Alison, thanks for the explanation; that makes sense.
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