The Ring Story

What every girl wants to know... The ring! Tell me about the ring!

Well ladies (and gentlemen, too, I don't discriminate), it's beautiful. And perfect. And I love just exactly the way it happened, the way it all played out. It's a story I like to tell myself over and over again. And so now I will tell it to you.

After Clay proposed, he later asked me if I even saw the ring. Was I holding it high enough? was his main concern. Well yes, of course I saw it. But when he asked me to marry him, I went straight for, well, him. Not the piece of hardware between his thumb and forefinger. I went straight for his face, found his eyes, and a few moments of silent communication passed between the two of us. This was a moment, a big moment, one of those that you know is life-changing even as it is happening. I wanted to savor it as long as possible.

When the moment had passed, we both realized he was still holding this ring, probably feeling a little silly that it still wasn't on my finger. He slid it on, we kissed, and then the question portion of the evening began.

Oh yes. Questions. Believe me, I was all business that night. I wanted to know exactly where he bought the ring, who helped him, what made him decide this ring/ this weekend, when he picked it up... pretty much every detail he had been up to over the past few weeks. I needed answers!

Turns out he had taken my best friend Lauren ring shopping that entire week prior, to Russell Korman here in Austin. He called her Monday with a "question", which of course made her quickly privy to his intentions. They looked and looked, and didn't find the right diamond on Tuesday. Wednesday they went back, when the jeweler had gotten in more diamonds, and in that bunch they found the right one. A real sparkler. Seriously. It's so sparkly! But Lauren informed Clay that, quote, Sparkle is good. And Lauren, I agree.

Over the next 24 hours the ring was made. Clay picked it up Thursday, proposed on Friday. The man knew what he wanted, what can I say?

And so the perfect ring for me is as follows: 6-prong solitaire on a delicate platinum band, with an extra side of sparkle please. It's a simple, beautiful, timeless engagement ring that I catch myself staring at every now and then.

To set the record straight, I'm pretty far from materialistic. I don't wear jewelry, I've always been a bit tomboy-ish, and I've never been one of those girls to ooh and aah over any piece of jewelry, let alone an engagement ring. But it reminds me of the thought that was put into its selection. Of who gave it to me. Of the commitment we're making. And that to me is something pretty wonderful. Worth staring at, in complete and utter amazement, every now and again.