Hand Halo

A Story by Derik Paatan

A story of a boy and a girl.

The day started out with contained optimism and excitement. The time they shared together has led them to this moment. They were taking their relationship to a new level. They were buying each other rings.

Click click buy

The day started out with the concept of ordering online. They had a couple of ideas in mind with design, size, price range etc., but the more they options they looked at, the more confused they got. She started with an idea of getting Celtic "Claddagh' rings or promise rings with traditional designs, he wanted something more neutral with a modern yet unconventional design. Going through the variety of rings on the amazon and ebay listings, things started to complicate. Finger sizing, style concepts, color options, material, price range etc. They finally decided on going to a store to have a look at the rings, try them on and then going back online to order or if they have found the right pair, pick them up at the store. The initial thought of a quick and easy purchase has turned into a challenging task to finding the perfect pair.

The Handfasting

The exchange of commitment rings stems from an event that is a handfasting. An ancient European ceremony where a bargain is made with the joining of the hands, for them the bargain is to stay committed to each other for 1 year and 1 day. Here the couple will share the time together, commit and learn from each other and work with one another for the time agreed upon.

The 10 carat find

After a quick breakfast, they start out at the Rideau Center. A good selection of jewelers with close proximity to the local Byward Market, where choices for a local purchase was possible. They started out at People's. The store was not that busy at that time. There was a more mature couple haggling over the price of Platinum bands and an Asian store looking excited while waiting for customers. They were greeted by an older sales lady with a name tag that read Sepideh. She was an older lady, she had a motherly feel to her, something in her voice that reassured them of parental support and being conscious about what they are about to do, they felt that they were in good hands. They looked through their options, goings through different kinds of rings. Trying on different kinds of rings, asking about different questions about sizing, types of materials, general to specific questions. They just had a crash course on rings. After about 30 minutes and a little roughing on the fingers, she found a simple white gold band that matched her skin tone. It has a bright shimmer to it that grabbed just enough attention to indicate that she might be committed yet also leave a question to verify that it was a commitment band. Him on the other hand, he was a little bit indecisive. With all the choices, he seemed to be more confused with what he wants and could not have made a choice even if there was an obvious one. She on the other hand seemed to be set on the 10 carat white gold find. They eventually decided to talk it over and continue looking.

Mr. Thai guy

For the second stop they decided to go outside and see what other options are available. They walked out of the mall and headed to the Byward market. The Byward market was quiet that day, local shops were manned and there were a couple of out-of-towners walking around checking out the stalls. Walking past the street booths, they ended up in the Byward Accessory shop. If the issue of People's was that there was a limited selection, the issue now here is that there is an unlimited selection. The store had mostly all types of rings anybody could think of. Big rings, small rings, animal rings, wooden rings, plastic rings, skull rings, clock rings, you could almost name any kind of ring and Mr. Thain guy would most probably have it somewhere in the store. The amount of options was just overwhelming. He felt comfortable with the concept of $7 dollar rings, thinking on his 'man-brain' but she requested that they at least look through some other options before finally deciding. After an explanation about sterling silver from Mr. Thai guy, they left the store to continue to look.

What used to be a spoon

In between the variety of native food stalls and open patios, they next came across Eclection. The store showcased work from different local artists who had their ways of turning old cutlery to art. There were a variety of charms, necklaces, bracelets and rings that were all made from old spoons, forks and knives. The idea of wearing unique and recycled bands seemed to be a good idea but was also a bit inappropriate for what the undertaking was supposed to symbolize. A quick chat with the store owner about the artist ended the store visit.

Almost settled

Going on about a couple of hours of ring shopping now, the next stop was the Bay. The Bay seemed like a good choice. Here there would be a better chance to find a matching pair with decent quality and a workable price, that was exactly the case. There were matching pairs, the quality was acceptable and the price was workable. However, there was something one thing that held them back. The selection was generic. The rings had similar designs and felt like there was a component of uniqueness missing. The search continues.

Change your mind with Tungsten Carbide

Ending back inside the mall, they found themselves at Magpie's, oddly enough it was located across from the starting point, People's. Going through the first selection of rings, a simple band caught his eye. It was different from what he had originally wanted. He had initially wanted something thick, partly polished and partly chromed, but what he saw was different. It was small; It was simple; it had a darker hue that differentiated it from the other options and most of all in more ways than the other rings, it matched hers. In less time than when it took them to ask about the metal composition of the ring, it was already in a box with the warranty papers signed.

Making History

After the small realization of what she had just done, it was her turn to get her her ring. They walked across to People's and sat back down in front of the glass display that housed the ring. They were greeted by someone else who apparently knew about what they were looking for. It seemed like as they were gone, Sepideh had shared bits of their story to her co-worker, that is now assisting them. Conversation with the lady brought back the story of how they met, learned about each other and eventually to the purpose of the rings, it seemed to have made her day as she beamed a smile and wished them well and a happy celebration for the handfasting. They exchanged looks, smile at each other and exchange a light kiss. At that moment they were reminded of how their relationship started, the experiences they shared, realization of what they have just done and the direction they have chosen in the exchanging of rings.