Part of the Game

One of the things that I was very aware of throughout this pregnancy was the tightness of my wedding rings.  I didn’t want them to get stuck and I definitely didn’t want to get them cut off.  I did pretty well until around Christmas and one day I went to pull them off and they didn’t come.  So I went to the bathroom and wet my fingers and pulled and pulled and they finally came off.  I knew they wouldn’t go back on until Caroline was here.  They maybe could have, but I didn’t want to risk it.  Then I felt naked.  I had nothing on to show to onlookers that I was a married pregnant chick.  So we looked around for a cheap band and everything was more than we wanted to spend.  So I was trying to talk to myself and make myself believe that I’d be just fine with nothing.  I knew I was married and so did everyone else I’m close to.  What did it matter to show people around me that I was married?

A few days later it was time for our Collins Christmas in Winston.  I was talking to my mom about it and she said, ‘Why don’t you wear your dad’s ring?’  Mom has been wearing my dad’s wedding ring for years because as an engineer he can’t wear a ring to work.  So she has worn his ring and her 10th anniversary band on her ring finger.  She pulled them both off and I put my dad’s band on and it was the perfect size.  A little bit big, but perfect to grow into. 

My rings are the white gold rings and my dad’s is the in middle.  You can see part of the inscription with ‘9-6’, which is my parent’s anniversary.  The inside inscription is ‘JLO to JDC 9-6-75’.  I asked Jason if he was ok with me wearing my dad’s ring (since he is kind of a part of what goes onto that finger!) and he told he thought it was really cool.  So I’m proud to be wearing my dad’s wedding ring until my fingers go down enough to get mine back on!