Circle of gold...

This morning as I was passing through the living room on my way to the office, something caught my eye...it was the shine from the circle of gold on Mr. PPRM's hand. My heart is always warmed and filled with pride when I see that circle on his finger. You see, Pat doesn't wear his wedding ring everyday...at first, that was hard for me...because it's such a symbol. A symbol of love, commitment, of saying "I'm married to the girl of my dream" (Okay, I had to add my own comment there :D) Why you might ask, as I did over & over...??? The reply was always the same..."It's just not safe in my line of work". Still that answer never satisfied me...I knew LOTS, TONS, a ZILLION Men who wore their wedding rings everyday...they had jobs where they used their hands to fix tractors, work on equipment, rope, work cattle, etc. So, just why couldn't my man wear his. (Side-note....sometimes, I'm a slow learner...and God has to show me the answer the hard way :D) Well, that's just what happened.

A couple of Winter's ago, Pat was on the road and I had a sick calf...one that I had been doctoring every couple of days.(which meant his life was going to end at Tyson..:( ) I know my way around the squeeze chute now, and pretty much have it all figured out, except for calves are short enough the alley stop doesn't work. In that case, there's a big heavy metal bar that you can slip behind the calf so it doesn't keep running back & forth up & down the alley :D (which really is annoying when you want them inside the squeeze chute!) Well, I've always been very leery of using the "bar" because I've had countless lectures on "If you don't use it right it can flip back and break your leg"....but, as my frustration was mounting...I decided I had little choice...so, I grabbed the bar, chased the calf forward and started to slide it in...well that little calf was a quick one, and just as I started to slide he moved...and SMACK!!!! The bar came back and smashed my left hand! It was instant pain..and I had a feeling NOT a good thing was happening...so, quick thinking led me to instantly put my hand in the ice-cold water-trough inside the pen! Okay, now I'm thinking....My husband is oh, so smart...why don't I just listen to every word he says to me ???

After a few minutes....I know I need to let the calf out of the crowd alley...so, I do, and realize, as my hand is swelling I need to get my ring off quickly....No such luck...It's pretty much there for good. Thinking the swelling could continue, and I didn't want to wait and see if I need to go to the ER...I grabbed the phone book and called the jewelry store...."Can you cut off wedding rings"??? Sure enough...so, a trip to IJ Gems, a little sawing and my circle of gold was No more a circle. I iced my hand the rest of the night, and the swelling pretty much was gone by morning...(I was hoping for a nice big, black hand by the time my husband got home, but that didn't happen either!) I did call him as I was leaving the jewelers....and you can imagine what he said back to me :D First, it was are you okay, then,...came the rest!!!

So, finally, I understand when my sweet husband tells me it isn't safe or a good idea for him to wear his ring daily!(especially since he does tend to have Charlie Brown's luck :D) But, on Sunday's he does put on that ring...and all feels right! Although...through the years I have learned..it's just a symbol....and symbols don't matter....what's inside one's heart is really what counts!

Sweet blessings to each of you on this Sunday!