Great story, Barb. I can already picture the scene with the romantic gesture in my head.

I hope your nephew will treasure your dad's ring.

Thank you, Eldred.

*genuflects*

The bicycle was also my first taste of true freedom. That's probably a big part of why I still love them. Riding brings back happy memories and recharges my soul.

I love this story, Denise. Because of his job (welder and precision machinery setup) my father was unable to wear a ring on a daily basis, so he kept it on his keyring. Over the years several rings go worn out or damaged, so whenever he got a new band my mother saved the old one in her jewelry box. For their 50th anniversary she had a new ring made for him using the gold from the old rings and diamonds from from my late uncle's 40 year pin from his employer. I have that ring and wear on special occasions. It's far to precious to me to wear on a daily basis. I have no children to pass it on to, so I will probably pass it to my nephew.

I wear my grandma's wedding ring with my own. For its small size, it's heavy. 18K white gold, barely there engravings of an orange blossom pattern are smoothed from wear. It saw years of hard work from canning to housekeeping, farm chores like slopping pigs and gathering eggs to tending to tobacco in the field, and still making big meals three times a day. And biscuits, it was there for so many biscuits... Till finally the winter work of quilting and reading in the cooler weather of winter slowed time on the farm. On her finger for almost sixty years, she needed a replacement ring for swelling. Rather than rendering it useless to sit in a box gathering dust, she passed it on to me. Carrying on the history for thirty-one years, so far.

I fear no one will want the ring in the future, with millennials shirking the heirlooms. I'd hate to see it melted down or just sold for pennies on the dollar. For the value isn't a price tag, it's the history of love, family, food, and so much more.

denise