Ring Ring

I haven’t worn my wedding ring in over 2 years. I had to quit wearing it when we moved here to Arizona, right before Parker was born. It was getting hard to get on and off as it was, but once we moved here (August, 8 months pregnant) I suddenly swelled up and couldn’t wear not only my wedding ring, but any of the shoes I had. Thank goodness for flip flops.

After I had Parker, I lost a few pounds initially, but then I developed a thyroid problem and started gaining weight. I still never go tmy wedding ring on, and I had taken to wearing another ring instead. It’s an heirloom… a white gold engagement ring with a sapphire for a center stone and four tiny diamonds (two on each side of the sapphire). It was my great-grandmothers, and it’s just gorgeous. My aunt passed it on to me when I was 20. I was able to wear that ring comfortable for quite a while, but then one day realized I could no longer get it off. I had gained too much weight.

Well, I still haven’t lost any weight. I think I’ve finally stopped gaining weight (it’s only been an extra 60 pounds), but losing weight is a lot harder than gaining weight. I don’t know if I’ll ever lose any of it, honestly. I’m not very disciplined when it comes to working out, and I refuse to cut foods out of my diet. I’ll cut back (no problem… done), but stop eating breads or sugars? Heck no. Not going to happen.

I miss wearing my wedding ring. It’s my engagement ring and wedding band sautered together. Ches bought it for me in 1997, when we were on a trip to Calgary. He had taken me up to meet his family for the first time over Labor Day weekend, and I had no idea he bought a ring that weekend. I’m the type of girl that always wanted to be surprised with the ring. I didn’t want to pick it out. I didn’t want to be proposed to without a ring. So it was a great surprise!! I love my ring.

I went in to a jeweler’s today and got my antique ring cut off. I got the pricing for the antique ring “repair” (which is what the resize is considered for that one, since it was cut), and the pricing for my wedding ring. The antique will cost $75. I can use money from my next paycheck to cover that. My wedding ring is a size 5. I need it resized up to a 7. It is going to cost $125. For just my wedding ring.

I don’t have $125. It’s Christmas time and we can’t even afford presents for each other, but this is something that Ches and I have been talking about for a long time and I know that he wants me to wear my ring as much as I do. So, do I come up with the money anyway?? We still don’t have that kind of money. Where would it come from? I can’t afford to get both rings done! I almost burst into tears right there in the jeweler’s. (It didn’t help that Parker and Dallin, who had started off being angels suddenly turned into devils and were acting up like mad). So I’m getting the antique ring repaired, and will have to do without a wedding ring for a little longer.

I’m now thinking seriously that I could be disciplined enough to workout regularly and I could give up breads and sugars and whatever else I have to give up to lose this extra 60 pounds and wear my ring again. It means that much to me.