15 to Eternity

Today is our 15 year anniversary!
On Monday I was desperately searching for a binkie...you know, it was nap time, the crying and whining wouldn't stop until the plug was where it belongs...anyway, I looked under our bed, pushing away PILES of dust bunnies and other items which shall remain nameless...when, what did I see hiding between the baseboard and the carpet??? My wedding ring!!! I had stopped wearing it while pregnant with Noah because my grotesquely swollen, gestational diabetes ravaged finger was not having that kind of constriction. I must have taken it off in the middle of the night and set it on the headboard when it fell off to remain with the dust bunnies for 3 1/2 years!!! When I first discovered it was lost, I didn't really show much emotion, because I was sure it would show up. But, after a few months I had a good cry. About six months ago I called the Ogden Temple because I kept thinking that maybe I had taken it off in the dressing room and put it on the shelf in a locker. The temple worker, who I'm sure is normally sweet, and kind, interrupted my description of the ring by telling me that I needed to stop talking so loudly...what???? I realize that I'm a loud talker, but come on! I was shocked! Then she told me that they don't keep lost items in the temple longer than six months. So, if you've lost your ring in the temple, you might want to check the DI! :)
Ironically, Mark lost his wedding ring while swimming in Utah Lake during the Half Ironman last Summer, no chance of finding THAT ring. So I had bought him a new ring a few weeks ago for our anniversary!
Today I read my sister Mandy's post about her wedding ring. On Sunday she realized that her diamond had fallen out of her ring, and she's upset that she didn't take it off and keep it with Travis' ring.
All this talk of rings has made me think about why we wear them and what they symbolize. Not having had mine for a while, I realized that although it is beautiful, it's not something that I must have in order to recognize that my marriage to Mark is eternal. There was a time when I wished for a bigger diamond, and a more "in" ring. But, now I realize that all that doesn't matter. What matters is that we are faithful to each other, that we've been sealed in the temple and that we keep our covenants.