Nana's ring

Nana's Ring

I'm not much of an accessory person. I don't have accessories for every outfit, I mostly have accessories that I wear every day. I have some favourites that I change around when the mood suits me.

This may seem weird for a girl from the eighties who had coordinating plastic earrings, rubber bracelets, slouchy socks and headbands for every occassion, but thankfully those days are gone. I dress by 'feel' more than anything else.

This is my Nana's ring. I wear it just about every day.

In the first year of my marriage, my dad brought my Nana for a visit here in Salt Lake City. When she first arrived, she was wearing this oval shaped tribal looking silver ring. I loved it. "Nana, I LOVE your ring!" I exclaimed. She told me how she and my baby sister were shopping in Steveston and she had convinced my Nana to buy it.

Later that week, we were at the Scottish festival. We were sitting up on a hill looking down where the Tatoo was being performed. The weather was beautiful. A storm was rolling in, but there was a soft breeze and the temperature was perfectly mild. As the pipes were playing and the men in kilts were bringing in the flags (the Canadian flag was one of them), she took her ring off her finger, pressed it into my hand, looked up into my eyes, and said, "I want you to have this."

I have always felt like that ring held a piece of my Nana. Every time I would put it on, I would think of the moment that she gave it to me. Now she is gone, I wear it every day not only as a reminder of her, but also to remind me the things she taught me about being a lady. I use the word 'taught' loosely - drilled into my brain is a more accurate description, but to this day I am grateful for the things she taught me about what is proper and how to be a lady with class.