Now that the Disney half-marathon is over and I’m back in the gym weight lifting full time, I’m realizing just how much I really miss my engagement ring when it’s not on my finger. In reality, I’m not one to wear jewelry very often… I’m more of a jeans and tee kinda girl and only wear earrings and necklaces for special occasions or when going out with friends. For some reason I’ve just never liked how jewelry feels when I wear it! I find it to be slightly annoying. I also tend to easily lose small articles if I’m not especially cautious, and I’ve lost more accessories and sunglasses than I care to count. So with my engagement ring, I’ve always had to be extremely particular about where I store it when I’m not wearing it.
I love (love, love, love!) my engagement ring and don’t prefer taking it off. For one, I am proud to wear it, and to be completely honest, enjoy showing it off! But I also know that I have to be really careful as to not lose it since I’m notorious for misplacing things. However, my ring adorns about 70 tiny side-stones around the solitaire and I’m sometimes fearful of losing stones if I’m not delicate. My ring is also made of 18K white gold which is particularly vulnerable since white gold is soft and wears down easily. And maybe I’m being too anal, but I don’t like constantly getting hand lotions and soaps on the diamonds because it makes them less sparkly until I have the time to clean it again. So for all of these reasons, I (rather reluctantly) do remove my ring under two circumstances: While I’m showering, and while I’m lifting weights in the gym.
To ensure my ring would never randomly be misplaced, I initially had to determine an exact location where I would keep the ring when I’m partaking in either activity. There’s a little dish on the top shelf of my vanity in the bathroom where I place it while showering, and I kept the original ring box to leave in my gym bag so I can safely store the ring while I’m lifting weights. My plan has really worked out great so far! The ring has been in my possession for a year and three months and I have known where it is at all times. That really is quite an accomplishment for someone like me!
This was taken just after my run… wearing my ring!
It’s funny how I’m not a big fan of jewelry but have still managed to become pretty obsessive over this ring. When it’s on my finger, I don’t notice it too much except to admire it every few days – okay, okay… maybe every few hours, but that’s besides the point! – but when it’s not on my finger, I think about it every five minutes or so. I guess I subliminally do think about it more than I even thought, because if it’s not on my hand, I find myself constantly using my thumb to feel around where where it is on my finger, and when I notice it’s missing, I have to quickly reassure myself that it’s in it’s designated safe place. I really can’t imagine taking it off more than I already do, though. It would probably drive me nuts and I would likely suffer from separation anxiety! In a way, the ring has truly become a part of who I am.
So, under what circumstances do you remove your engagement ring, and how do you make sure you don’t lose it? Do you suffer from separation anxiety when you have to take off your ring?
I am the exact same way about wearing jewellery!
I don’t really like wearing a lot because I also find it gets in the way sometimes. But I am getting used to wearing my engagement ring and I love wearing it now!
When I first got it, I had to take it back to the store to have it re-sized and it was agony waiting a week to get it back, lol
But I do sometimes take it off when I’m typing or cooking and I leave it right in front of me on the desk or counter, so I know where it is at all times. I also take it off when I go to the gym or go swimming. I have the original ring box, so I sometimes put it in there and keep it in a safe place, so I know where it is at all times. Insurance on the ring also helps and makes me feel a lot better.
I do suffer from separation anxiety when I have to take my ring off. I mostly am afraid not that I will lose it but that I won’t remember to put it back on! Thats the reason I don’t take it off for bed .. I know I know ! i should but i just can’t! I have a dachsund ring holder in the bathroom where you slip the ring on its tail. otherwise my cat will find it and swat it away!
I know what you mean, because I also never wore rings very often before I got engaged. I take my ring off when I’m at home and also never wear it when I exercise, but otherwise, it never leaves my finger!
I totally know about ring seperation anxiety! I’m a singer/actor and have to take off my ring for shows. I always keep my ring at home in my jewelry box so no one steals it backstage. Recently, I’ve started using a small silver band to wear to and from the theatre so my finger doesn’t feel naked, because I too, do the thumb to ring finger check. It makes me feel comfortable and I can slide it off and leave in in my dressing room and not worry if someone takes it.
I’m so glad to know someone else feels the same way!
MrsMays, I wear mine to bed every night too! And I really like your idea, Kirsten!
I see so many girls at the gym wearing their ring or rings and 1. I am slightly jealous bc I am not wearing mine but 2. dont understand why they wear them while working out! I know with my luck, I’d smack it into a weight or the side of the elliptical or something.
My future mother in law actually knitted me a bunch of small bowl like ring holders. They are about an inch and a half wide and I have them all over the house so I am always putting my ring in it if i take it off to cook or wash my hands. I had a mishap with my college ring where I took it off while cooking chicken-I hate touching raw chicken! and I ended up picking up my ring with the bag of raw chicken and throwing it out! So I make sure to have those ring holders all over the place to put my ring in so I always know where it is!
I feel exactly the same way!! I was always worried about when the day came that I would hate having a ring on my finger constantly and thought that it would be uncomfortable, but now I feel naked without it! I take mine off for the same two purposes as you. Showering and lifting weights. I keep it on for cardio tho. I also will take it off to wash my hands at home but don’t ever at work for fear that something might distract me and I could walk away without it. Even tho we have it insured I would die if I ever lost it.
Great post!
PS conrgats on doing the half-marathon, thats no easy task!
I wear my ring all the time. In the shower, at the gym, my engagement ring is on. The stone has a thin layer of soap reside and my hand has a nice callus to prove it. The only times I take off my ring are when I’m kneading something in the kitchen (because I don’t want food residue stuck on my finger for days), or when I go somewhere for work where jewelry isn’t allowed. I put the ring out of the way on the kitchen counter when I’m cooking, and in my purse when I go to certain job sites.
I am actually looking forward to not wearing my engagement ring anymore. While I love my ring, I also find it annoying. The setting gets caught in my hair, on my clothes, and it is painful to wear with gloves or mittens. I wear the ring more as a symbol of commitment than as “jewelry”. I’m ready to trade it in for the wedding band. Once I do that, I’ll only wear my engagement ring as jewelry, in the sense that it is not so much a symbol as a sparkly accessory.
Last summer after a few week after getting engaged, my Fiance and I went to one of the beaches near by, I didn’t think to take off my ring before we had left, so when we got to the beach I took off my ring and placed it in my bag, there is a little zipper pocket in my bag and I though that would be a great place to put it. Well, when we finally decided to leave I grabbed my bag to get my little beach dress, that I put on over my swimming suit. I didn’t notice that I had zipped part of my dress in the zipper so when I pulled my dress out it unzipped the pocket, making my ring fall out, which I didn’t notice. We got in the car and my fiance started pulling out, which was also when I got in my bag to put my ring back on… it was gone! I frantically started pulling everything out of my bag and it wasn’t there, we turned around and ran to where we had set out towels. Very upset, I started crying, my fiance had just spent a lot of money and I hadn’t even had it two weeks! Some nice people at the beach came over to help, we were looking for 20 minutes and still hadn’t found it! Then my fiance had an idea that maybe it was kinda thrown out, once we started looking farthur away, we instantly found it! Thank God, literally!
Needless to say I have learned my lesson, I always take it off before I go to the beach or somewhere I will be taking it off. I also take it off when I do the dishes, take showers, go swimming, working out, etc, any activity that might get my ring dirty or anything on it. I, like you, also wear it at night to bed, I can’t sleep without it. I also like others have said, have another small silver band that I wear if I will be doing outside work for awhile, like riding horses or something, because if it does get damaged it isn’t a big deal. I do though get it professionally cleaned every so often, most jewlers will clean it for free even if you didn’t purchase it from their store or not, and they even polish mine as well which makes it look brand new!
So funny because I am the EXACT same way! I don’t wear a lot of jewelry and I have lost so many earrings, sunglasses, etc. It’s awful. But, I’m obsessed with my ring and have the hardest time taking it off of my body. I’m even bad about wearing it to the gym lately
I always take it off when I shower, wash my hands etc. I sometimes do when I’m at the gym, but I get worried because I’m afraid someone will steal my ring out of the locker.
I know that’s probably crazy, but I just can’t imagine it happening. Like you, mine has tons of tiny pave diamonds…in total those are over a carat so I know that I shouldn’t workout in it, especially lift weights. As far as sleeping in it, I do. I have also had that debate whether I should or not. ARGH!
Ironically enough, you and I have the exact same wedding date