Jim didn't have a ring when
he proposed. He knows I'm picky, frugal, and eco-conscious, so he guessed I'd want to pick it out myself. I honestly didn't even notice the lack of a ring till he mentioned we should get me a placeholder ring in Gion before we went back to our hotel that night. So we shopped around the little outdoor shops till we found a place we liked. The ring we found was 500yen (roughly $5), sterling silver (we think), and slightly too big for me. I wore it proudly.
I've noticed the first thing people will ask after I tell them I'm
engaged is "Let me see the ring!" So I
show them and tell them
the story of my engagement. The sweetness of the
story always wins over the lack of a diamond, but I have always said that it's a
'placeholder' ring. The responses I've received have varied from; "You don't need a fancy ring to feel engaged." to "Let me go diamond shopping with you!"
The more I think about it the more I'm not sure if I want an expensive sparkly thing. I don't know if anything else will feel more like an engagement ring than the one I have now. I change my mind about it every day but right now I think I am content wearing my heart shaped Gion ring. We might spend some time and care picking out and designing our wedding bands and I might want a fancy ring for our anniversary. Or not. What matters to me is the love behind the ring, and that's not going anywhere. Ring or no ring.
