My things: class ring

While we were moving my mother in law came upon my high school class ring. I don't even remember where she said she found it, but it certainly wasn't the kind of place you keep a prized possession.

And since she found it I've been thinking a lot about this ring and how much of a symbol of my years in highschool it really is.

- I remember looking at the styles of rings and thinking that anything small and dainty would be lost in my fat hands. So I went for the chunky ring for the chunky girl.
- The ring is very personalized. You got to choose what images were stamped on to the sides. I put band instruments on one side - I was in the band for a couple of years but wasn't in the band any more by graduation. I did it, but I never really loved it. On the other side, I couldn't come up with a single other symbolic thing to put on the ring, so I had them put a flower there. Completely un-symbolic.
- There's a viking under the stone. Our mascot. I'm assuming. Because this is how much I cared about that.
- I never really liked this ring, even when I first got it. I never really liked highschool. But I think I needed this symbol to punctuate the end of a fairly unhappy stage.

And maybe the flower is symbolic after all because right after I graduated I really did bloom. I found my voice and my courage and my self.



I just hope highschool is an easier journey for my kids.