BEING MARRIED WITHOUT PROOF

For my parents 35th wedding anniversary, we all toyed with the idea of finally getting them wedding rings. My dad freaked out. No way! We’ve gone this long. At this point, it would be bad luck! I explain to my parents how unusual it is for them to not wear wedding rings. My dad jokes:

Dad: What? That’s supposed to keep you from cheating? Maybe that’s why so many girls liked me all these years! I didn’t have a wedding ring!

My mom tells the story of the time she was approached by man in a health food store who asked if she was married. When she told him she was, he said, “I knew that, but you’re not wearing a ring. You just had the energy.”

Mom: Even if I wasn’t wearing a ring, I had the energy of a married person. Energetically, I was married. I didn’t need a ring to prove it.

Dad: It’s just superficial. I’d like you to find a guy that doesn’t need a ring.

I tell my dad that at this point finding a guy I want to marry and who wants to marry me is a more compelling objective.

Dad: Marriage is in here. (Puts his hand over his heart). It’s not there (Points to his ring finger), or there (His head), it’s here (Hand over heart).

Mom: When two people are committed to each other, you don’t need signs. It’s just there. And people can tell.