Wearing ring gives her courage

It’s just a piece of metal with little sparkly things attached to it. The sparkly things were formed deep inside the earth a very long time ago. They were brought to the surface in various ways, as was the metal. At some point the metal was formed into an endless circle and the sparkly things were stuck to it in a decorative fashion. It resided with a bunch of its friends in a well-lighted case until one day, a soft-spoken man took it home.
The man presented it to his wife. She wore the ring for many years. After the woman’s death, the man gave the ring to his daughter-in-law. Actually, he gave it to his son to give to her because he knew the woman would not take it from him.
It is a beautiful piece of jewelry. But the main reason I cherish it is because it belonged to my mother-in-law. Plus, I am convinced that a little bit of her lives on in that ring. I slip it on whenever I need some extra courage or reassurance. Sometimes I wear it just because I think she needs to get out of the house for awhile.
I know that’s silly, because as pretty as it is, it is still just a piece of metal with sparkly things attached; an inanimate object that contains no life, no special powers. Yet, when I wear it, I get the feeling that she is with me. It is my own personal talisman.
I believe we all need talismans, amulets or charms of one kind or another. The wedding ring that we unconsciously twist and rub is the most common talisman in today’s world. It is a confirmation that someone loves us and cares about many of the same things that we do. It is a symbol that says we are not alone in the universe.
The dictionary defines talisman as, “an object held to act as a charm to avert evil and bring good fortune,” or “something producing apparently magical or miraculous effects,” and says that the first known use of the word was in 1638.
I don’t think magic has much to do with it, nor do I think of the ring as being a good luck charm. Rather, it is a connection to a woman I once knew. I am tethered to her by the memories I have of her and also by the man I call my husband and she called her son.
I wish I could present my own mother with something that she could hold that would give her the reassurances that I cannot. I wish I could give her something that would remind her that nothing is forever, and that this, too, shall pass. She has a lifeline-type necklace to connect her to help, should she need it, but that isn’t enough to ward off the bad mojo that getting older has brought to her. She needs a talisman, something small that has meaning for only her. But she would dismiss all this talk of talismans as utter nonsense.
We need talismans for other purposes, also. Wouldn’t dieting be easier if we had a charm to ward off the munchies? Wouldn’t bad habits be simpler to break if we had an amulet and maybe even a chant to rely on in times of stress? On those days when everything is going wrong, wouldn’t you like to be able to hold up something and shout, “Begone!” Even if nothing changes, it would give the illusion of being in control and bring a much needed laugh to whomsoever witnesses it.
Sometimes illusion is more powerful than reality. Sometimes we need something tangible to hold on to. If I feel surrounded by an invisible bubble of strength and grace whenever I slip that bauble on my finger, what’s the harm?  It is more than just a bit of metal with sparkly things attached. It is my own personal talisman.[[In-content Ad]]