The IRS Ring

It smiled at me today from my bedside table -
a little diamond ring placed there before I fell asleep.
In the dim light and through my unfocused eyes
it could have been an insect
or a tiny wad of paper
but then its form grew clearer and drew a smile from me -
14 tiny diamonds forming a flower
that sparkles and shimmers in the light.

Long ago a young pretty woman wore it,
thinking she would marry the man who gave it to her,
the man of her dreams.
Something happened within her
that told her she was making a mistake.
I don't know what it was or who she was.
Her fiancee never understood.
She returned it without a word and they never spoke again.

Years later he gave it to his best friend for her birthday.
She chose it from an assortment of gold rings
and other jewelry that belonged to his mother.
I don't know if she ever wore it.
When the relationship soured, she gave it back.

Now it belongs to me along with all the other jewelry that was his.
I was his final friend.
He died before I rejected him like all those
who had gone before.
I don't think I would have.
I made a promise
to walk with him until the end.
I thought it would be within six months or a year.
Instead it was nine years.

His estate is nearly settled now.
I've turned his taxes into the accountant
and written the checks for estimated taxes due.
He always gave me jewelry when I did that.
So this year I had the ring re-sized
to fit my chubby fingers.
Good Job, Pat!! You've worked hard!!

It sparkles whenever I see it -
a little like the twinkle in his eyes
whenever he saw me.

I miss my friend.
I'm lonelier without him
but grateful for the gifts he brought and taught me
patience
listening
an appreciation for beauty
gentleness
an awareness of suffering people and their issues
and how small acts of kindness
make an enormous difference to people who are hidden away.

I am deeply grateful for the gift of friendship and its legacy
that still sparkles
whenever I place the ring on my finger.