Daily writing prompt

What’s the oldest things you’re wearing today?

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Since I typically write before I’m even dressed this could be very easy to answer. I’m not even sure what I’m going to wear today but within my closet there are definitely some pieces of clothing dating back more than ten years. I know this because for some reason I know which clothes I owned pre-Clint and which ones I bought after meeting Clint. However, within those pieces of clothing, many were purchased at thrift stores so I really don’t know the history of them or how many years ago they were initially bought.

But back to the oldest thing I’m wearing right now, and that’s the jade ring on my left fourth digit. It was my Mom’s and she gave it to me so many years ago that I can’t even remember exactly when. I think I was late teens or early twenties. So most likely thirty-ish years ago and she had it from when she was probably the same age so without picking up the phone and calling her right now to ask, I’m going to guess the ring was probably made in the 1950’s.

I think when she gave it to me, she said she didn’t fit it anymore or maybe it was because she worked as a nurse she couldn’t really wear jewelry and even on her off days she wasn’t much into jewelry. I gladly accepted. I felt even back then that it had “vintage” qualities. And I’ve never really taken it off my finger except when I was about seven to eight months pregnant with my oldest and I had pre-eclampsia. I was very swollen everywhere, from my ankles right up to my forehead and the ring was getting tight. I had taken off all other jewelry but I couldn’t get this jade ring past my knuckle. I just happened to tell this to my Dad and he took me outside to one of his sheds and found some kind of tool and cut it off my finger. I can’t remember how he did it. But it was cut and would need to be repaired before I could wear it again.

It sat in my jewelry box for a couple of years and then one day I decided I needed to get it fixed and so I took to one of the jewelers in town and they fixed it for me. That was about seventeen years ago and I’ve not taken it off my finger since. Nor do I plan to take it off. I feel like I want to leave this earth when the time comes, with this ring still in its place. But that’s probably being selfish so maybe I’ll tell the kids, let my heart stop beating with this ring on my finger and then before rigor mortis sets in, please take it off and someone keep it.