… Well, soon it will be Mrs. Amy I. Bayliss!! (Oh my beating heart! I have never seen it written/typed before! lol)
Yes, you read that right. I am now engaged! My sweet hunk of a man proposed to me this past Friday. He called my three boys into the room and then with this shy, sincere grin, he opened the ring box and said it….. “Will you marry me?”
My heart stopped, I began to sweat, I smiled, I looked at my babies who were jumping for joy, I looked at the ring that stood for all I am now and who I will be, then I looked into his beautiful eyes and I said it…. “YES!” It was definitely an eternal moment. No date has been set yet. We are still pondering over how we want to do this. It will be soon though.
Now, about the ring….
It is exactly what I wanted. Something that is who I am:
*Not materialistic.
*Not traditional for the sake of tradition.
*Not empty in meaning.
*Not just like everyone else.
I have never been fond of the whole idea of my future husband spending 3 months salary on something I must guard with my life so I don’t lose it; hide so no one will steal it; show off so I/others feel I am worth something to him; resent because of how much emphasis was placed on it and not the covenant I was about to enter into. It simply makes no logical sense to go into debt and be charged interest on a manufactured symbol of love. Especially not when 3 months salary could be put away into an emergency fund and earning interest just in case our new family faces a crisis and needs it.
I researched the origin of the diamond engagement ring and was startled to find out that it was started in the 20th century through a massive marketing campaign by De Beers who also instilled the ever popular slogan “A Diamond is Forever.” Sure, the first recorded diamond engagement ring was from the Archduke Maximillian of Austria to Mary of Burgundy as a betrothal gift in 1477 but they were royalty for goodness sake! There were no more records of the diamond engagement ring until the De Beers campaign.
I am so excited that my sweetheart really did listen to me and my many rants and raves about this. I’m sure he didn’t mind the price difference either! He also listened when I expressed my new found knowledge of the history and meaning of the peridot. I love my peridot ring. I found it’s history in the bible. The Hebrew name is Pitdah. It is found in Exodus, Job, and Ezekiel as well as others. It was one of the gemstones on the “Breastplate of Aaron.” Hebrew folklore states that the peridot symbolizes success in covenant/marriage. I love that it is the shape of a heart and that it is white and yellow gold. There are diamond chips in the ring but the entire ring was mined and made here in the US. The smaller diamonds can be found in Arkansas and the peridots mined in Arizona.
My intent in writing this is not to impose my convictions about diamonds on you but instead to share our story with you. Diamonds aren’t a requirement for engagement. Biblically speaking jewelry was exchanged as a symbol of impending marriage but it was not always a ring and diamonds were never mentioned though dozens of other stones were. That tradition was started later right here in the US. Please do some research on your own and see for yourself. Always search for the origin of traditions and decide for yourself whether or not they are a good fit for you and your beliefs.
As far me, my hunnie, and my little boys…. we are anticipating a wonderful life together with God as the center!
