It’s really disheartening to me that there exists a phenomenon known as ring shaming. I understand that we live in a materialistic society, and I’ll admit that I can’t help but be drawn to a stunning Tiffany’s princess-cut diamond ring. However, judging others based on the size or cost of their rings strikes me as utterly ridiculous.
The ring you wear on your finger cannot determine the strength of your marriage, nor does its size accurately reflect the depth of love a man feels for you or the longevity of a relationship. I’ve personally witnessed a woman with a $40,000 engagement ring not even make it to the wedding because her partner turned out to be a terrible person.
Fortunately, a bride named Ariel Desiree McRae is reminding us all of this truth in a proud and unconventional way. Her Facebook post, featuring a viral story, has been shared by numerous media outlets across America. Ariel explains that she and her husband don’t have much money. They struggle to pay bills and put food on the table. However, after nearly two years of dating, they decided not to wait any longer and got married.
Ariel wasn’t even thinking about rings; she simply wanted to marry her best friend. But her husband insisted on buying her two matching rings from Pandora, made of sterling silver and cubic zirconia. These rings now adorn her finger, and she is genuinely in love with them.
While they were purchasing the rings, an employee at the store made a derogatory comment about men buying such rings as engagement rings, referring to it as pathetic. Ariel witnessed her husband’s disappointment. He already felt guilty because he couldn’t afford the pear-shaped ring set that she had desired and saved on her Pinterest page. He constantly asked her if she would be happy with the rings they could afford, expressing his concern about not being able to make her happy or meet her expectations.
In the past, Ariel would have strongly confronted the woman for her insensitive remark. However, the more mature Ariel realized that what truly matters is not the ring itself, but the love and thoughtfulness behind the purchase. They bought the rings and left.
Ariel emphasizes that she would have married her husband even if he had proposed with a cheap 25-cent gumball machine ring. She questions when our society reached a point where we believe that a man can only truly love a woman if he buys her expensive jewelry worth thousands of dollars and publicly declares his affection with a flashy ring. While she acknowledges that these rings are nice and sentimental, she wonders why material possessions have become synonymous with love.
Her husband was terrified that she might reject him because he couldn’t afford a lavish piece of jewelry. He feared that her love for him would diminish because he couldn’t provide the wedding set she desired. It’s sad that society has shaped these expectations. Ultimately, they couldn’t wait any longer and decided to elope. Ariel has never been happier in her life and can’t imagine spending it with anyone else.
