Commencement Ring

Our lives are peppered with rituals and celebrations: birthdays, communion, graduation, and marriage are but a few.

To each of these events is tied a token of some kind: a gift, a white dress or spiffy suit, a diploma, or a ring.

I must admit I never thought of moving out from under your parents' roof as being a commencement in life worthy of a specific token. I learned today from Queen Bee that such a token was given to my father when he moved out of his parents' house.

A bit of background is required here. My father's mother was a woman who had a taste for the finer things in life. Custom clothing and furnishings, domestic help, meals offered up on exquisite table settings.

Dinner was always a formal affair requiring formal attire - and of course there were always cloth napkins. Each of these napkins was accented with a sterling sliver napkin ring - each ring engraved with the name of a family member.

When my father moved out, his commencement was marked with the presentation of his personally engraved napkin ring. Something every young man longs to take with him.

Imagine the social standing that must have been achieved by a silver napkin ring, no doubt protected by a glass dome, prominently displayed on top of the television set.

Imagine the envy of friends stopping by for a beer or to watch a ball game. Dude, you have a silver napkin ring? Awesome. Whoa - the thing is engraved - totally righteous! Give me five dude!