The Ring's the Thing

Noli did something really sweet for me today that brought a smile to my face each time I thought about it throughout the day.  I was on my way out the door this morning, heading to work.  As is the norm, I made sure to give each of my girls a great big hug and kiss and wish them a good day.

After hugging Noli I turned to leave but she said, "Wait daddy...wait!"  And off she went running to our credenza upon which rested her new ring.  Noli is crazy about rings and necklaces and all things pretty and princess-like.  She picked it up and came running to me with the ring held out and said, "Here Daddy!"  Well I reached down, took the ring and examined it.  I thought that perhaps it had broken and she was bringing it to be fixed.  But no - it was in fine shape so I said, "It's your ring...it's very pretty!"  She nodded and said, "You can wear it to work today!"  I was stunned...not because she wanted me to wear a princess-pretty ring (my girls have no qualms about trying to put me into pretty things) but because it was her new ring and as much as Lex and I go on about sharing, the girls are still learning the joy of sharing.  I was surprised that Noli would willingly part with it for the day but could tell that it meant a lot to her that she was giving me something special.


"You mean I can bring your ring to work with me?"  I wanted to clarify that she was okay with what was about to happen.  I envisioned me walking out of the house, hopping in the car and driving away all the while oblivious to the monumental meltdown Noli was having because I drove away with her ring.  "Uh-huh," she replied without hesitation, "Just make sure you bring it home after work."

Well I thought I was going to start blubbering like a baby.  I don't know why it made me feel all warm and fuzzy...but it did.  What a sweet thing for her to think of doing for me, out of the blue!  I bent down and gave her an extra big hug and kiss, sincerely thanked her and told her how nice it was for her to share her ring with me.  And I assured her that I would bring it home after work (which I did).


It's not that my girls have never given me anything.  They have, they've given me their colouring and artwork and different crafts...but I don't recall them randomly giving me one of their special things to have even for a short time.  And the way she gave it to me...you could see the pride, love and excitement on her face as she gave it to me and watched me look at the ring. 

I still don't know exactly why she decided to give me the ring today or what she was thinking - but it made my day and made me feel loved (I generally feel loved but I guess I felt an extra helping of love today).  I put it on top of my computer console at work where I could see it throughout the day.  It lifted my spirits each time I looked at it and reminded me of the reason I do what I do - it's for my ladies.

The first thing I did when I got home was to take the ring out of my pocket and hand it to Noli.  I thanked her again and reaffirmed how nice it was for her to share the ring with me.  She was very pleased and then she put the ring back on the credenza where it had been that morning.