The Ring

The Vanderbilt Class Ring above looks a lot like mine. I don't how many of you bought one. I thought it was so expensive when I purchased it my junior year. I believe it cost around $200 or more. I can't really remember now. I am pretty sure I needed my parents' help to buy it.

Over four decades later, it's been a great investment for me on many fronts. I wear mine almost every day, and I don't feel quite fully dressed if I don't have it on. That's why I was so alarmed about two weeks ago when I couldn't find it. It wasn't on my dresser and it wasn't in the pants or other clothes I wore the day before. I looked everywhere I could think of. Nothing.

I guess I was kind of in mourning about it the next couple of days. I had worn the ring so long I sometimes could almost still feel it being on my finger (like a phantom). It also gave me a sick empty feeling thinking that I wouldn't have for Reunion weekend when we all return to campus together.

But then just as I had given up hope, I went to Mass on Sunday about a week after I noticed the ring missing. During the sermon, the priest talked about the gospel passage where the Good Sheperd rejoices when he finds his one sheep that was lost, even though he had another 99 sheep in his care.

While I know this Scripture has absolutely nothing to do with class rings, suddenly this feeling came over me that I was somehow still going to find my ring.

Sure enough the following morning as I dressed for work, I checked another pair of pants in my closet and there it was! I had checked the wrong pair of pants before, so I had missed it. I was so happy and relieved to have it back in my possession and on my finger.

The ring has not only become something of an antique item now being over 41 years old, I feel its also something that keeps me connected to Vanderbilt and all you, my classmates, so many years later.

See you next weekend! I'll be wearing my Class Ring, which has Kirkland Hall right there on one of its sides between the numbers 19 and 73, for our Centennial Class!