Mr. FixIt proposed to me last year. We both knew from the beginning this relationship was going to be special. We both knew we had found the one. So, it was never a matter of “if”. It was always a matter of “when”. 

You know, if you’ve been around a while…I knew I wanted to be with this man for all eternity. But I wasn’t quite sure I wanted to be married again. After all, I’d already been married three times. The first was too young. The second was too long. And the third was cut short by his untimely death. I wasn’t sure I could live through that again. And…I was afraid of losing my widow’s benefits. 

So, we lived together and it bothered my heart. My faith tells me that is a sin. I prayed and asked God to speak to me through my Pastor if He had a message directly for me. The Pastor spent the next nine months delivering message after message that what we were doing was wrong. It happened SO many times, I could no longer deny the truth. After speaking with my faith mentors, I asked God to give me a sign. 

I knew He would always provide for me, but I asked if I would lose my benefits if I remarried. Immediately I heard, “Well, Google it!” So, I did…and as long as I married after the age of 60, I would NOT. That was all I needed to know and I shared the good news with my beloved. 

We married just a month later. When Mr. FixIt gave me my engagement ring, he knew my stance on marriage so we never went out to buy a wedding band. As a matter of fact, my ring was not part of a set so there wasn’t a band to go with it. The ring has an odd shape and really needs a custom made wedding band to sit flush with it. 

When we set the date, I told Mr. FixIt I didn’t really NEED a wedding ring. I could just wear the engagement ring alone and be good. But the closer we got to the wedding, the more I regretted that decision. I really WANTED a band to symbolize the two events separately. The week before the wedding, I bought a simple, straight band with little diamonds. I have to admit, I didn’t choose what I really wanted. I went with what was less expensive. 

The wedding was lovely. My ring sat on my hand for the next several days. But every time I looked at it, I remembered the other one. It wasn’t THAT much more expensive. I kept going back to the jeweler and visiting the ring. Finally, I made the decision and traded in the straight band for the curved one that sat up against the engagement ring like it was made for it. 

I loved it. And still, something was missing. It didn’t seem finished, symmetrical. That’s when I decided to use money I’ve made from my writing and buy a second band for myself to sit on the other side. And now? I absolutely LOVE it. It looks polished. Complete. Like it was made to be this way. 

I was talking with my camping friend, Janine about it and she said this. “It’s not like you’re picking out a winter coat. This is your wedding band. God willing, you will be wearing this the rest of your life. Get the one that makes your heart sing.” It only LOOKS extravagant but I still got an amazing deal on it. (I always go for a sale!) So, these are the rings that represent our love and commitment and I am so happy to wear them. They do make my heart sing! ❤️

“So they are no longer two, but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let no one separate.”  Matthew 19:6 NIV