A few weeks ago, I was walking back to my car from a business meeting and looked down at my hand.  I immediately noticed my wedding ring was missing 1/4 of my princess cut diamond.  I was shocked and looked on the ground thinking maybe it had just fallen out.  After I didn’t see it, I kept walking towards my car thinking “oh well, it’s just a ring”.  Let me explain before you go down the wrong path.

I realized in a matter of minutes that although the ring carried value and symbolized a whole lot of things–including the wonderful love I feel towards my husband and the memories we’ve shared over the years–it didn’t hold me captive.  I was not attached to a thing–an inanimate object which can be replaced.  I’m sure at some point, I’ll get it repaired, but that moment assured me that my love and allegiance is not “fake” or tied to someTHING.  I’d much rather have the memories and reality of a love that is true than a shallow love that is fleeting such as losing a diamond.

Our value shouldn’t be tied to things which can come and go, but rather to things that will last–the beauty of a thriving marriage, the laughs you share with an old friend, the time spent with an aging grandparent, the father/daughter talks at Starbucks.  Be careful not to get wrapped up in things. Cherish the beauty in people and you’ll live a much more fulfilling life.

~Coletta Jones Patterson