The Ring

I bumped into an old Marine Corps buddy this week while crossing a busy intersection.
It didn’t take us long to catch up on old times and get updates on current times, but he appeared rushed. He kept checking his watch as if he had a very important appointment he needed to attend. I made an excuse to release him from our chance encounter but instead he invited me to join him.
He was on his way to a jewelry store at a rather extravagant place here in this busy desert town. The sight of the almost palace-like hallway into the majestic main floor was alight with beams of sunlight refracted from the crystalline windows.
He had purchased a solitaire engagement ring from this place several months ago, but he didn’t have the courage to ask the jeweler if they could take it back…
His wife left him the day he purchased the ring.

I could sense his indecisiveness as he stopped, turn around, then back around again. I made no statements. I simply didn’t have the words.
After an eternity of silence, he begged for forgiveness as he stated that he had performed this ceremony on several occasion, each time retreating with his tail tucked behind.

Instead, he looked at me. “Have you ever seen the movie Titanic?” he asked.
“Yes”
“Remember the part where Rose threw the Blue Diamond in the ocean?”
“Yes” I replied, my curiosity getting the best of me.
“I feel like doing the same thing. Wanna drive down to the Pacific coast with me?”
“Sure” I said.

During the drive there, I asked my friend the story behind the ring.
He related that the first engagement ring he bought for his wife had a diamond that he felt was too small, but it was all he could afford. He promised her he would one day buy her a ring with bigger stones. He was therefore away from home too often, working long hours to save up. Unfortunately, money was tight and he couldn’t get the ring sooner. When he was finally able to buy the ring, he was going to ask her to marry him all over again.

Once we made it to the PCH in California, the sun was about to set. I watched the sad figure of a man walk down the windy beach, the waves crashing violently against the rocks. He stood atop one of the rocks and I watched him throw the ring into the sea.
I had always been curious what guys did with dis-engagement rings…
In the end, when you lose someone you love, the most expensive treasure you keep could never replace the treasure that’s been ripped from your heart. Like Rose, you can only hang on to those memories to remind you of the happy times, but in some cases, hanging on is too painful. Letting go is the only way we can truly allow ourselves to heal.

Do not withhold your mercy from me, O LORD; may your love and your truth always protect me. Psalm 40:11