Ring The Alarm: Ring Shopping

Ring shopping my thoughts – So Jemiel sent me this text one day randomly that said “I think we should go ring shopping the next time I come out to visit” My heart skipped a beat. I replied “what?” he replied “you know you been itching to go so I might as well scratch” HUGE smile. WOW. I mean you say to yourself (well women say to themselves) I am ready to get married…but when it comes down to it…you get a little taken aback when he is ready—or at least I did. I mean its always one of those things you look forward to doing at some point and until I was actually 23 I realized there was NO WAY that I would have kids by 25. HAH. Maybe that was back in the day, but I feel like you need some time to grow as a person and while being independent (i.e. paying for yourself and taking care of yourself) because you learn a lot about yourself flaws and all. Things you may have blamed on someone else ands its really just YOU. Anyways, this is where my mind spiraled off too when he said this. I mean, I say that I’m ready…but am I REALLY ready for this? Do I even really know what “this” is all about? All this time and I’m sure Jemiel’s brain just said “I think we should go ring shopping” and that was it.

So the next month Jemiel comes to visit and I planned to not mention it to see if he was really serious. Because if he was—then HE would bring it up. So when I got home from work early that Friday, and he was like “so…” I replied “so…” then he says “do you remember what I said about the next time I came to visit?” and in my head I’m like OF COURSE I REMEMBER--WHAT GIRL WOULDN’T REMEMBER-- YOU KNOW I REMEMBER—AREYOUTRYINGTOTORTUREME???…and I reply coolly ”umm yeah…I think so” and he says “and what was that” so I get this nervous look on my face and reply “umm…ring shopping?” (hoping he wouldn’t respond with something like ohh…no the other thing—remember the Falcons are playing and I wanted to see it at that one bar…”) but he REALLY responded “Yeah. So why don’t we go today. Does that sound okay?” O-M-G. Fireworks. He was really serious. WHOA this is happening! WHOA…this is REALLY happening.

So we go to the place and start looking around the store both probably looking a little bewildered as we have no experience whatsoever. The entire time I didn’t want to be too opinionated because I thought it was such a kind gesture for him to let me have a hand in it in the first place. So every time they showed us something we would look at each other and say “what do you think?” and neither of us wanted to speak first out of fear of thinking the other person may think its “the one” when you felt quite the opposite! Luckily, I would break the ice with a facial expression (if you know me-- I show everything on my face) and he would gladly reply “me too I think there is too much going on” or “yeah that’s just not your style”. So finally Cori** showed us this ring and when we saw it we looked at each other and said “that one is REALLY NICE”. It was modern, timeless, and simple yet elegant. We found the right one, and the rest is history.

** side note we ended up befriending the young woman working with us. Cori Alegria—the finest there is!! She was so helpful and read us well and was just so down to earth that I invited her over to our BBQ the next day (and she came)! We have been friends ever since. The funny thing was, as we were walking out of the store, I asked Jemiel “Do you think she is that nice to everybody and just trying to get a sale? Or does she really like us back?!” and he replied “no I think she really likes us” (which she later confirmed with a laugh that she indeed was sincere).