Wrapped Around Her Finger

I wear a ring on my right-hand ring finger. I've worn it for 10 years. It used to be on my left-hand ring finger, but at the airport on my way to attend BYU for the very first time, my wise older sister advised me to switch it to my right-hand. "You wouldn't want people to get the wrong idea." So, I did. And it's been on my right-hand ever since.

It's a blue star sapphire and it once belonged to mom. She gave it to me when I was a young teenager. I wore it every so often, but it didn't become a permanent fixture on my hand until I was 16. I was visiting Utah for the first time, there to see a friend, see my sister (& her new fiance) and attend the ever popular EFY. I was gone for an entire month, which was the longest I had ever been away from home, ever. Those who know me should not be surprised when I say that I was extremely homesick.

One day I pulled out the ring - classic, simple and beautiful, just like my mother. I put it on and each time I looked at my hand, I was reminded of her and I was comforted. I have worn it ever since. I've come to love this ring. I love the hidden star that shines clearly in bright light. I love the simplistic setting of the stone. I love the rich blue color that never fades. I love that it reminds me of my mother.

So, imagine my horror when the other night I lost this ring which has become so dear to me. We were playing a game, a somewhat silly game, where the knocking of my ring on the table was an interference. So, I took it off and stuck it in my pocket. Right before I was about to leave, I reached in my pocket to find that the ring was no longer there. I searched every pocket on my person...three times. I searched the floor, and then frantically enlisted others for their help. I was almost in tears as our search proved futile. But, I wouldn't stop looking. And finally, Victoria saved the day when she found it hiding behind the stand-up poster of Steve Young. I was very happy.

I wear a ring that reminds me of my mother because every day I try to be like her. I don't know if she knows that. I don't think I've ever told her the story of why I first put her ring on so many years ago as a shy and unsure 16 year old, feeling scared and alone. The past 10 years I've had many similar moments, and each time it's my mother who helps me through. And though it's a simple piece of jewelry, it paints a beautiful image in my mind of the wonderful woman who has shaped my life, and the kind of woman I want to be.