My parents were married on December 28, 1956. These wedding rings were actually the second set of wedding rings they wore, purchased to replace the little gold bands which were the only thing my dad could find when he was in the Air Force and stationed in Malden, MO.
These rings were made just for them by a jeweler in Fairborn, Ohio when my dad was stationed at Wright-Pat Air Force Base. I was a pretty new baby and they used to put me in my stroller and walk to this jewelry store. They would park my stroller in front of a huge wall mirror and I would entertain myself while they looked around the store and talked to the jeweler (I was apparently easily entertained as a baby!).
After multiple walks to the jeweler they decided to have these rings made. Each of the rings has one diamond set into it, stones that came from the wedding ring that belonged to my mom's own mom. Inside each are my parents initials….BES to KRK and KRK to BES.
I have always loved these rings but once I heard the story of them I loved them even more. Objects often take on more meaning when you know the story of them. These rings were created just for them in the place I was born. I was part of the process of them getting these rings. They have stones from a ring that the grandma I feel most connected to once wore, my Grammy, the name my grandchildren now call me.
My parents told me I could take them the day I took this photo because they no longer wore them as fingers tend to grow as we age. I sometimes wear both of them now, one on each hand. They connect me to a past that is both mine and theirs. To a past of people long gone. To the stories of my life.
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