My dad never wore his wedding ring, which always bothered my mom. He said he lost it shortly after their wedding and never replaced it. When we were cleaning out his belongings, we found the ring in a small box with a note. It said, “I never wore it because…” he feared damaging it during work. My dad spent most of his life doing physical labor—building fences, repairing engines, lifting equipment. His hands were always calloused, always moving, and always at risk of getting caught on something sharp. He used to joke that his hands were his tools, and tools shouldn’t wear jewelry. Still, we had all believed the story about the ring being lost. Seeing it tucked away so carefully, wrapped in a soft cloth, felt like uncovering a quiet truth he’d chosen not to burden us with. Continue reading…
