comedy, tragedy and renewed vows (kind of)

ok, so the title is a bit dramatic, but I do have to share this with you all...about 7 years ago, we rented a house with some friends on the outer banks of N.C. I will change the names of our friends to keep the story anonymous, we will just call them, "Mat" and "Karen".

One afternoon, "Karen", "Mat", Dale and I got in the hot tub. We smelled lots of chemicals, so I tested the water with the chemical tester thingy. Everything showed white, which is supposed to mean there were no chemicals in the water, but the smell was almost unbearable, we were sure the thingy wasn't working. We continued to sit in the hot tub for a while before "Karen" couldn't take the smell of chemicals anymore. She and I got out and went into the bathroom to rinse the chemicals off ourselves.

After a few minutes, "Mat" came in with a towel on. He said, "Look what happened!!" he opened his towel and we both looked. To this day I cannot speak about what I saw, but I will say that it was similar to a wet t-shirt contest, except he was wearing shorts. His previously solid colored, non see through, swim trunks were now skin colored and transparent! (yes, I said transparent! ) Then came Dale, and his swim trunks had also changed color from green to brown, not transparent, but a few minutes more and they would have been!...

It was then that "Karen" and I realized what happened, the hot tub had way TO MANY chemicals in it, the tub was so loaded with chemicals it was bleaching the tester thingy white! both Dale and "Mat's" bathing suits had been completely bleached, almost right off their bodies! (Thats the 'comedy' in my story) (I am laughing thinking about it!)

We ended up crying we were laughing so hard!

After noticing "Karen's" broken prong, we decided to take our jewelry that we wore in the hot tub to be looked at. The prong on "Karen's" ring had been completely eaten by chemicals and she had to have it fixed. The jeweler took a look at my wedding ring and said the gold in it had been seriously compromised and I would need to get a new setting or chance loosing the diamond one day. (there's the tragedy!)

Fast forward 7 years: I noticed my diamond was loose and shifting in it's setting several months ago. I stopped wearing my wedding ring. I have to admit, I missed my wedding ring when I couldn't wear it! I thought about my poor ring every single day! I needed to get it fixed, but school was letting out, and my days got busier and busier! Dale and I finally took my ring in a few weeks ago to be fixed, and I got it back today!! On the drive home I looked at my ring a hundred times! My poor ring had been through so much over the years. It had looked pretty sad, and had lost almost all it's sparkle. The prongs were always snagging on everything, it was scratched up and very dirty. When I saw the ring today I barely recognized it. It looked brand new. They buffed all the scratches, put the diamond in a brand new, sturdy setting and polished the whole thing! It feels like a brand new ring!

The most important thing my ring has done for me today was to remind me of why I am wearing it. I have thought of Dale each and everytime I have looked at it. My ring is such a beautiful reminder to me of my sweet husband and all the precious times we have had together. It has seen everything throughout our relationship, and I promise to take it off whenever I get into a hot tub so it will make the journey another 15 years! (then I will fix it again and help it go another 15 years!) (my "renewed vows" )