Close to my Heart

Spinning, twirling, and tracing the outline of the stones in Grandpa's turquoise ring as I sat next to him on the couch, my chubby little fingers, touching his strong, weathered hands. I loved that ring. He didn't wear it often but it still seemed to be a part of him. It symbolized his spirit, kind, generous, loving and strong. Both he and Grandma loved turquoise jewelry. We would often go camping in the Sierra Nevada mountains and there were several little shops that carried Native American goods and turquoise jewelry. If their good friends Noel and Vera were camping with us, we had to be sure and stop because Vera loved Minnetonka  Moccasins. She always had a pair in her trailer and they looked so comfortable.On one of these trips, they bought me a small and simple ring, something appropriate for a little girl. I treasured that ring and wore it almost everyday. I remember when the stone developed a crack across the center and I had to stop wearing it. It was just about too small for me at that point but I think I would have gladly switched it to my pinky finger just so I could continue wearing it longer. Fast forward to two years ago...I now have my own business. One of my clients gave me the best gift ever. She went on vacation to Arizona and chose a turquoise ring almost exactly like my original, and I wear it on the same finger. She did not know the story of my ring or how much it meant to me. I opened the box and almost cried. I am in awe that life has a way of bringing you back to special times and involving new people in the journey. What a precious gift she gave me, without even knowing the entire background story. I wear that ring each day and while it's not the exact same ring that Grandma and Grandpa gave me, it brings a smile to my heart and comforts me.
Grandma Myrt had a wonderful collection of turquoise. She was always so careful in her purchases. She never wanted to appear gaudy or tacky in any way so she would only wear one or two pieces at a time. She was petite and I remember her saying that one should never wear overly large jewelry, even costume jewelry. She said that it would overpower our natural beauty. I loved looking at her hands and touching her rings. She had the most beautiful and elegant hands that I have ever seen. She was 52 when I was born, not necessarily old but not a young woman either. I've often wondered how different her hands were when she was twenty-one and first married. I can remember each crease, each wrinkle, every line, and how her rings fit on each finger. I must have appeared strange while staring at their hands. I don't know why I was so fascinated by their hands and their rings. I'm glad that I have those visual memories stored in my heart. I can see my grandpa Zim's hands holding a pencil, working on a design project at his drafting table in the garage. I can see Grandma's fingers glide across the keys of her organ and hear the occasional click that her long nails make as they touch the ivory. She took lessons and practiced almost daily, a hobby that she took up when I was little. Grandpa would hold my hand when we'd walk through a parking lot and I loved how rough and masculine his hands felt. He passed away last fall. I was given his turquoise ring and I knew that it was too big for me to wear. I certainly did not want this beautiful ring to sit in a box to never be enjoyed. I went to one of our local jewelers, J. Tabor, with an idea of turning the ring into a pendant that I could wear with a silver chain. He was able to create a masterpiece. It is exactly what I wanted and so much more than I hoped for. He kept the shape of the ring on the underside of the stones. The curve in the ring, where my Grandpa's finger touched it, is still there. Sometimes, when I wear it, I smooth my finger over that curve and close my eyes and think of the many times I held his hand, the many times that he wiped my tears, comforted me and held me. When I wear my Grandpa's ring, I feel safe, secure and loved. His spirit is always with me but I especially feel it on the days when I have the pendant on.