The things I cherish (part I)

There are certain things I have of Moms I cherish.  My favorite thing is her wedding band.  Mom wanted us to “draw straws” to determine who would get their possessions once they passed away.  She did not want us fussing over their things.

We drew slips of paper that had written on it particular cherished items; I drew the paper to get her wedding band.  Her wedding band is made of silver.  I wear very little jewelry, and the jewelry I wear is gold.  I said something out loud about me not wanting the wedding band because of this.  Mom made some comment to me as though she wanted me to keep it.  She told me I could at least give it to Lauren if I did not want it.  Jennifer said a few things to me and talked me into keeping the ring.  Jennifer took it to someone she trusted and got it sized and fixed for me.  I later thanked her for telling me to keep it.  I love my ring and do not take it off.  I look at it and think of all the things Mom did while she wore it.  All I have to do is look down on my hand and be reminded of her.

I found Mom’s diary she had when she dated Dad in high school.  I would read it when I went to Dad’s house.  I brought it to my house, and I love reading it.  She has his name written inside the front and back covers.  She wrote: she met Dad on March 7^th, 1958, she saw a fallen star on April 5^th, the first time she went out with Dad was May 24^th, Dad first kissed her June 4^th, Dad left for college September 7^th, and how she cried half of the night.  On September 14^th, it had been one year since her daddy died.  On February 1^st 1959, she wrote, “Went Sunday school & church came home Jimmy came over and at 2:40 Jimmy gave me his ring.”  Later she wrote, “….ask me if I wanted to wear his ring.”

I would laugh as I learned she would pretend to be sick and not go to school.  The one thing that was weird was reading what she did on March 14^th.  Little did she know when she wrote that, she would die on that date in the future.