Untarnished

Today Nathan took a photo of my wedding band.

It is a very detailed shot, showcasing the many pits and gouges this red-gold symbol of our love has accumulated over the past nine months. Nathan has a tendency to exclaim over these scars, expressing both wonder that I could inflict such damage to my jewelry in my day-to-day existence, and a sort of smug satisfaction that the tungsten carbide of his band will remain forever flawless and shining.

But me? I like the imperfections of my ring. I like that it shows hard use. My life shows hard use- it is not a thing that I keep carefully in a pouch under my pillow, or locked away in a safe-deposit box, only to be seen on special occasions. I wear this ring every single day, because I am married to him every single day, and I am glad that its surface reflects that.

Marriage is not always a smooth and perfect thing. At least, not the ones I’ve witnessed. Marriage suffers slings and arrows as much as any other portion of one’s life. And yes, both slings and arrows can leave scars- sometimes ugly ones. But do you know what a scar really is? A reminder of something that, however painful, did not kill you. Chances are, it made you stronger.

So yes, I love the blemishes of my ring- because it means that the ring is there to receive them.


(Untarnished)