Can We Talk 2

Birthstone

         Someone thought I had on an engagement ring the other evening. Wrong. It's a simple birthstone ring, amethyst, that my grandmother bought for me on my 16th birthday. I've always had big knuckles, so it still fits.It's only 10 carat gold, and it was fairly standard in its day. I remember it cost $10. We bought it at a jewelry store on Main Street. It was just the two of us. We hardly ever went out alone; in fact, this may have been the only time. She wanted my 16th to be special. I was her first grandchild. My mother told me later that $10 was a big deal for Grandma.

         It has remained throughout my life as my favorite ring.I couldn't even tell you where my wedding band is. (My husband lost his while swimming in the Atlantic Ocean.) After my divorce, the amethyst went back on my left hand.It's always a reminder to me of my grandmother and her gentle ways. As I get older, I'm beginning to look like her, especially when I wear glasses. I always thought I would look more like my other grandmother because all her children who looked so different as adults began to favor her as they went into their golden years. They wrinkled in the same ways, so I expected to do the same. This ring is my connection to my maternal grandmother and my teenage years.

         It reminds me that small gifts can be large ones when they come from the heart. When a sacrifice is involved, the gift bears more feeling. I had a mother who was smart enough to help me see that. It reminds me that quality is more durable than flash and glamor. This ring is one of my treasures.