Wedding Rings

This photograph shows the left hands of two wonderful women. They wear identical wedding bands on their ring fingers. I found this image irresistible not only because of the touching story behind these identical rings but also because these two have been close friends for over fifty years. When I asked them last week if I could take a photograph of their hands together, they thought it a great idea. No hesitation at all; a quick chuckle and instantly ready to pose. The hand on the left belongs to my Mom and the hand on the right belongs to Dorothy.

Doris and Dorothy met in Aruba many years ago; Dorothy was hired by my Dad, the school principal to serve as the librarian in the American school. She and my parents formed a close friendship from that time forward. Despite time and distance (Dorothy moved to England when she married 37 years ago and eventually back stateside to Texas), the bonds between them were kept alive by letters, phone calls, and in person visits, especially when my parents were living in Houston. We were all touched when Dorothy and Gordon arrived in Seattle ten days ago to spend time with Mom and Dad in person, to honor a friendship that has meant so much to them for decades. Dorothy says that Doris has been the kind of close girlfriend that comes around once in a lifetime. They've apparently shared many things together; the good and the not so good; life.

Dorothy is younger than my Mom by perhaps twelve years; she's lively, witty, kind, and a masterful teller of stories. She always admired Mom's wedding ring, the wide gold band with endless overlapping etched circles that Dorothy says stand for "forever". When she married Gordon, Dorothy asked Mom if it would be "OK" if she asked Gordon to purchase her the same wedding ring. Mom had no issue with that idea and was probably touched deeply, the identical bands symbolic of the affection between the two. I'd heard this story before but until last week, never thought about taking a picture. Seeing the two jabbering away about this and that, obviously enjoying their time together made me jump to get my camera. That's what blogging does to you; everything of interest becomes the seed for a new post!

I had copies of these pictures made for Mom and Dorothy; something tangible to mark the recent visit. One never knows if this is the last in-person visit they'll have together. Every day is precious. For now, Mom's photograph of the two hands sits framed, on her bookshelf. People ask about it frequently and want to know "the story". It's the story of deep connection, devotion, mutual respect and love.

photo of Dorothy and Doris taken at Golden Gardens Park
September 14, 2008. Seattle