One night at work I assisted an elderly lady who was small in stature and fragile in some ways. She was looking for a new ring to buy. And this lady wanted something with color, even though she was color blind because of some degenerative disease. She wore a beautiful ruby ring that was around five or six karats. The stone was not real but she was comfortable in it. She had delicate yet lovely hands. Her nails were nicely done and painted. She was fully gray and her skin did show her aging but her mind was so vibrant. This lady not only wanted a ring with color in it, she also wanted something that stood up and out a little. Most ladies want something that reflects their life, their income, their state of mind with where they are now. A ring says a lot about the person wearing it. A ladies ring tells you what kind of style they like, if they're simple, classy or all out gaudy. There are women who will not wear a ring that is true to heart ~ a ring that reflects their taste because they may not feel worthy, they may not have the confidence, they may not have the means or they maybe concerned about other people's thoughts.

I was intrigued with this lady because her rings were not all that gaudy. She only wore the ruby on one hand and her wedding rings on the other. I was intrigued because she was shopping for what she liked. You could tell that she knew who she was. It showed in her personality and in the way she carried herself. This lady is happy in her own skin. She's a lady and she's content. Most of us are not like that. When we shop for a ring we may like one that is shinny, big and bright. And even  if it is in our price range we will not purchase it. It is because we are afraid that it will look too gaudy or it is too big for people to think that it is real. Who cares! If it is pretty, you like it and you can afford it, why not get it?
Why settle for something that is not really you? Why not be daring or different in what you choose , as long as you like it. The key is to be who you are. Be true to yourself and comfortable in your skin. I wonder what challenges, experiences and lessons learned in he life have brought her to the place of not allowing other skins to reflect on her own. It was an alluring experience to witness a real and true lady walking into the store that night. What a blessing for me!

We don't very often come across people in our lives that are not affected by what others think. we may think to ourselves or voice it out loud that we do not care but the truth is, we do. The thoughts of what those people think and how much we value their opinions affects us in all different ways and in different parts of our lives.
For example, Sally Sue who is single and in her forties cares about a guy who is in his thirties but she will never pursue a relationship  with him because they are at least a decade apart in age. And what would her friends and family think? 
And what about Bonnie, Who may live down the street ,always been known to be conservative and proper in her ways and taste. She would love to buy that leopard print sofa for her living room. There are more examples that can be shared but you get the idea. Nobody likes to be rejected and no one likes to feel like they are the talk of the town. Sometimes we forget about what "I think and about what I like". And about how I feel because we get into the motions of the rat race. ANd we eventually run that race everyday of our lives, unless we decide to run outside of the pack and start running at our own pace and in our own direction. No one in the rat race ever wins, it is only those who stepped outside of it that won. As a Mom and a wife we end up caring more for others that we do ourselves. DO not get me wrong, we definitely need to care about others and love them with every part of ourselves that we can. But not at the expense of loosing ourselves. We should know what we like and do not like without having to think about it. We need to know what is important to "me". We need our own opinions. It is important that we do not allow other people to think for us. We need to think and make decisions for ourselves.
I too have a taste for rings that are just a little on the gaudy side. I just really like my rings to shine and stand out. And anytime I wear  a ring with clear color, luster and large in size, I think immediately, will that look too big or gaudy? I have thought that because I did not want people to think that I had a lot of money when I did not. ANd I have bought rings in the past with that description. The first couple of days I would feel like everyone was staring at me. It would take me awhile to adjust to wearing it even though I like it. I was just too concerned about what other people was thinking.
Now, since my encounter with the lady that wore the ruby ring, I wear my gaudy rings with confidence and a sacredness and a comfort because they do reflect apart of who I am and most of all because I like them.