Just a Ring

It’s unique. It holds 2 heart shaped amethysts symmetrically placed on each side of the dome. It’s set in gold with raised caviar shaped golden eggs surrounding the stones. It has texture and it is a strong ring-a beautiful ring with a story.

Peggy Lipton

Mom gave it to her niece Carole as a sweet sixteen present. Well, not exactly her niece. Carole was the daughter of mom's best friend. She was gorgeous and looked like Peggy Lipton from the Mod Squad but with  shorter bobbed hair. Hair the color of honeyed wheat.

Carole was 5 years older than me; very tall and lean. She gave me all her hand-me-down clothes many of which came from a store in Queens where her mother, my aunt Florie worked. The store was called The Village Set and every September, Aunt Florie invited me there on a shopping spree. A shopping spree where I could pick out whatever I wanted. And I mean, WHATEVER I wanted. Much to the dismay of my mother, who although herself a fashion hound, thought the boots had too high a heel or the hot pants were a tad too short.  But even my mom realized the importance of the green suede of those boots, the grooviness of the fringe on the handbag, and how perfectly the crushed velvet hot pants matched the crepe tye-dyed top. She allowed me to keep (and wear) each piece.

When I was pregnant with my first daughter, Florie lost her only one. At Carole's funeral, Aunt Florie returned to my mother the amethyst ring with two hearts...for me.  My mother held onto it. She wore it sometimes but always she knew it would be mine. I’d ask for it on many occasions. My mother was funny that way. She kept it under the safe deposit’s lock and key when she wasn’t wearing it. The safe deposit box was where she kept all of her important papers and other jewelry. She'd bring me with her to visit the box and she told me I’d get the ring when she was no longer around.

I wear that ring now. 
My mom, Aunt Florie, and Carole are gone. I understand why 
I had to wait for it. 
It's not just a piece of jewelry…...not to me and certainly it 
wasn't just a ring to my mother or her best friend. 

And one day, I will pass the ring and its story down to my daughter.