Rock of Ages
by Karen Sawyer

What if your most prized possession was never really yours? That’s what happened to me. I had always known I would inherit my mother’s beautiful, high quality engagement ring when she died. But recently, because it had gotten too big for her bony fingers, she had quit wearing it. During a phone call she told me she wanted me to have it now and she would give it to me the next time I visited. I was thrilled. In the meantime, my sweet daughter and her boyfriend became engaged. Unfortunately, the ring my daughter loved was far more than her fiancé’s budget could afford. And even though she would have loved anything he gave her; I knew he desperately wanted to give her the ring of her dreams.

I took a deep breath and called my mom. “Since you were going to give me the ring next time I’m there, would it be okay if you just give it to my daughter instead?” I knew I was giving up an heirloom and my inheritance before I ever got to enjoy it. That ring would go to my daughter eventually anyway, when I died, but I had hoped to enjoy it for a while first. My mom had hoped I would enjoy it for a while too. But we both recognized this was our chance to leave a legacy and make a big difference to this sweet young couple.

Fortunately, my future son-in-law was thrilled with the idea, as was my daughter. Now, every time I look at that diamond on her finger, I smile. Thanks Mom!

AUTHOR’S PHOTO CAPTION: The ring on my mom’s hand (left) and a picture of my daughter with her remodeled ring on her finger (right).

NOTE FROM THE AUTHOR: I didn’t get to have my mother’s beautiful diamond ring but I’m okay with that. Don’t get me wrong, I loved that ring and what it meant; it was a symbol of my parents’ long and happy marriage. But giving it to my only daughter was a no-brainer for me. My daughter got a family heirloom and my daughter’s fiancé was able to provide her with a ring she loved but didn’t go over his budget. And there is a wonderfully happy ending to this story. Because my daughter only used the solitary diamond, I was able to make earrings from the diamond baguettes that were on either side of the diamond. We both got a part of my mom’s ring in the end.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Karen Sawyer’s work has appeared in Precious, Precocious Moments, Wounded Women of the Bible, The Secret Place Devotional, guest posts in Mother Inferior blog and Unsent Letters blog, Girlfriend 2 Girlfriend magazine, and MONTROSE ANYTIME magazine. She has contributed numerous articles to ehow, and Demand Media’s other web-based sites. She taught elementary school for seven years before her children were born. Karen lives in Austin, Texas, with her husband of 29 years. They are the parents of two adult children.