Wedding Ring, where did I put mine?
Wedding Ring, where did I put mine?
A woman is washing up, suddenly she shrieks, notifying her household of the fact her wedding ring has slipped off her finger and fallen down the plughole. A series of frantic, yet failed attempts at retrieving the ring from the u-bend under the kitchen sink follow, before a quick visit by a handsome and capable plumber saves the day. Voila, the wedding ring is returned to a very grateful and relieved wife before her husband ever discovers the details of her mishap. This scenario has formed the basis of many comedy moments in film and television over the years but in real life, wedding rings are often susceptible to a similar, yet often less resolved fate.
A wedding ring is a vulnerable piece of jewellery, due mainly to its intended purpose of being utilised every single day for life. No other item belonging to an individual is expected to stand not just the ravages of time, but also the general wear and tear attributed to sporting such an item on the hand. Convention rules that regardless of profession, wedding rings should be worn at all times – an often impractical solution for many of us. Thus considering what a wedding ring is subjected to over the course of its existence, it is hardly surprising that on occasion, it may become misplaced or damaged. So what should you do when the physical symbol of your eternal love, just simply isn’t where you left it?
Various online guides state obvious techniques for what to do following such a calamity. Look high and low, retrace your steps, picture where you last saw it, stay calm, essentially do exactly the same as if you’d lost anything else you own. Although a reasonable course of action, the emotional significance of the wedding ring does not allow such a measured approach. In fact, there can be no advice that would be of any real use in this circumstance other than perhaps to simply stay positive and keep looking.
Recently, a man from New Zealand retrieved his wedding ring 16 months after he lost it in the water just off Wellington harbour. After several unsuccessful dives and on the verge of giving up, he finally spotted it, in all its gleaming glory, lying just inches away from an anchor he had thrown in to the sea to mark its rough whereabouts. In the end, his sheer determination, as well as a promise to his wife of just 3 months, were enough to return his wedding ring to its rightful place – back on his finger. Although this inspiring story is one more of willpower than comedy, its protagonist also benefits from an excellent resolution, emphasising for all of us the possibility of happy endings in life, as well as art.
Pia Chaudhuri