thought i'd take a small break. . .

from studying greek to share one of the things that has been on my mind as something i wanted to share on this blog, and that was the story behind our ring.  

we wound up buying an opal ring instead of the usual engagement ring because there are things about an opal stone that are just so cool and we thought were a good symbol for marriage.  

to start with, opals need to be nurtured.  they actually need to receive some oil in order not to dry out.  and it turns out that the best type of oil in the oil that comes from human skin!  so they need constant human contact in order to be nourished.  (it just dawned on me RIGHT NOW as i am typing this that oil is a symbol of the spirit - that is so stinkin' cool, i have to tell sam when i see him)  

the second thing is that opals are a delicate stone - they are actually very soft.  so they need to be protected.  usually they are set down in a metal bezel setting - my stone is actually set with loops, because you actually can't use a prong - the prong could dent the opal.  and i actually have to take the ring off any time i'm going to do any thing "rough."  and you have to protect the opal from water, so i have to take it off before i wash the dishes, take a shower, etc.   in fact, when we were shopping for the ring, a lot of people asked me, are you SURE you want an opal because you really have to take care of it.  and i would think to myself, if i can't take care of a RING, then i'm not ready to take care of a marriage!  

the final thing about an opal is this, and i think it's soooo cool - the iridescent part of the stone is called "fire" and i always wanted an opal in which, if you looked deep into it, you would see a flame of red fire, to symbolize the passion you need to nurture in a relationship.  well, we looked and looked and looked for what seemed like forever (ten months, to be exact) and nothing came even close to what i was picturing in my head.  and then one day we visited an opal specialist, and he pulled out his best opals - and there it was, this stone, that if you look deep into it, you see what looks like a flame of fire.  i was so excited. i remember i grabbed sam's arm and i said, "it looks like what i've been picturing in my head!!!" i couldn't stop looking at the stone, because it was like finding the holy grail or something.  we put a deposit on the stone that day.  

anyhow, all of these things represent a lot of what we've learned about a relationship - how it needs constant nurturing and constant protection and a constant flame of love.  it has been very true that i have to be very aware of taking it off, caring for it and etc., but i kind of like the fact that i can never just take it for granted.  and i've gotten kind of used to the routine of when i take it off and when i put it back on.  i realized the other day even sam has to be a bit mindful.  we were out and we both stopped to use the restroom and when he came out, he hesitated before taking my hand.  his hand was still a little damp, and he explained that he didn't want to get water on the ring.  i remember i smiled and then i handed him a napkin.  but it was just kind of a nice moment and inside i was appreciating the fact that sam is thoughtful about things like that.

i remember too, that when we were first talking about the whole thing, sam said that there was something about opals that seemed kind of magical.  (actually, i think the opal mentioned in harry potter kind of added to that mystique )  and i agree, they do seem kind of magical to me too, and in a way, so is love.  you can try to understand it and break it down into these symbolic things, but in the end, it really is kind of a mystery.  and i think that's cool. 

ok, that’s my story for today – back to studying!!!