Polished Diamonds....

The other day my dear friend, Julie, took one look at my wedding ring and said...."You need to let me clean that for you!"  Yep....it needed it.  My poor ring.  It has seen over 25 years of wear and tear.  One stone is missing....one prong is bent.  The center diamond has been knocked out...lost....found...remounted and braced.  My ring has seen good days....bad days....long days....and days that just went way too fast.  Through all those days, I've worn my ring.  I don't take it off.  Now days it is because it is a little tight on my finger, so it doesn't come off easily, but I remember when it was a choice whether to take it off or not.  I still chose not to!  On this particular day....it was a mess!  It was dull and dirty....caked with lotions and soaps that didn't wash off with water and at that moment I realized I had been neglecting the polishing and shining that it needed!

This little innocent comment by my friend got my brain spinning.....what else had I neglected?  My ring is a symbol of a promise of love and fidelity to my husband.  It is a symbol of the life we have pledged to each other.  It announces to the world that I have committed my life to one man as my husband and best friend.  So what did my dirty ring say....I don't care?  It's unimportant?  Our life is a mess?  I know that is not what my friend was saying....she use to work for a jeweler so she was just noticing innocently that my ring needed a good cleaning, but my heart screamed something different to me.

Have I been taking for granted what I once held so highly?  Have I become complacent and unaware of the polishing that needs to be done in our marriage?  Have I quit doing those things that keep the shine and sparkle visible?  Honestly......yes, I had.  Those little things....the hand holding....the quick little peck on the lips....the smile when my hubby would get home....all had become overshadowed by the busyness and craziness of daily life.  Stress at work....stress at home....bills....illness....obligations....all those things that have taken away from what I once held as the most important part of my life.....my husband, my best friend, my life. 

This week I have watched baby girl #2 accept a beautiful band of diamonds from her best friend.  Her soul mate.  They sparkle.  They shine.  They shout to the world that she loves this young man and that she plans to spend the rest of her life loving him.  They tell of his great love and adoration for her.  If those diamonds were a representation of their love, you would have to say it is one of remarkable beauty and value, highly valued and prized.  I watched her sleep holding her hand gently so her ring would not slip or fall.  I watched her admire the way it sits on her hand.  How gently she holds that hand now!  How proudly she shows all those who want to see it!  How much she smiles at knowing what those diamonds represent to her!  How he smiles knowing she has accepted his ring that is a symbol of his love for her!

Oh to be back there again......young....in love....and untarnished by life.  Marriage is such a journey....sometimes even a battle.  There are scars and bruises.  There are times where those diamonds don't shine near as much as they use to, but the most beautiful thing about those diamonds is that they become more valuable with time.  Their beauty through the years come from the memories you make and struggles that you overcome together.  They may become knocked around, dislodged, even lost at times, but as long as you remember the value they hold and the love they proclaim....then a little polish will do the trick and help them shine all over again!