What's in a ring?

Over the past 6 to 10 months or so, I've had some issues with eczema on my hands, and as a result, I often go without rings of any sort - including my wedding rings. Before this happened, I always wore my wedding and engagement rings on my left hand and my iron ring and my grandmother's wedding rings on my right. A couple things got me thinking about how these rings, in a way, define parts of my life.

My Mom asked me the other day why I wasn't wearing my iron ring - a ring that literally did not leave my right hand, my working hand, since 1996. For Canadian Engineering students, receiving the iron ring, the symbol of our profession, is the culmination of all we've worked for. It symbolizes not only our responsibility to society, but also the long road we've traveled to get there - years of calculus and physics, labs and work terms. It also symbolizes a bit of a "work-hard-play-hard" lifestyle of the slightly nerdy that seemed to transcend our individual institutions of learning.

My wedding rings, obviously identify me as part of a team, a family. When Norah and I were traveling alone last week they implied, at least in my mind, that I was a married mother, that Norah has a complete family, and that someone would be waiting for us on the other end of our journey. Even when my hands are giving me some issues, I always wear these rings when I travel - whether for work or pleasure. I hadn't really thought about why before - am I worried about being approached by strange men? Hardly. I think maybe it's just to have a piece of them with me when I am away.

My grandmother's rings carry so much meaning... they are much older than either my engineering ring or my own wedding rings. My grandmother raised a family of 8 children with a quiet grace that I hope some day I will possess. She and my grandfather, married nearly 60 years before he passed away, have left a legacy of family and love that I am certain each of the 20 cousins feels. The rings represent a love that I know many of us have waited patiently for in our own lives, and had obviously only grown fonder with time. I am honored to be the keeper of these special symbols.

As I am writing this, and I can see how these rings represent phases of my life, I think of other rings in my jewel box, some worth reminiscing over, some not, and also what rings are yet to come... family ring? anniversary ring? telephone ring? I'm not sure it matters, since really life is about the journey, and not the ring.