Our wedding jewelry

The very first time Danny and I laid eyes on each other, we knew. It was truly love at first sight. We met and dated a few times before he asked me to move to Mississippi with him, where we'd get married. I was living in Little Rock then and met him over the CB radio because he was a truck driver. So, the proposal was a bit unorthodox, but it still took my breath away. I'll never forget it.

Actually, when Danny and I got married, we used two cheap silver and turquoise wedding bands we picked up at a flea market. Later on, when we had a little more money, we got a mens wedding ring and a matching gold wedding ring for me. They were wide bands and we loved them. They were very similar to his grandmother's wedding band.

A few years later, after we'd had two children, we ran up on very hard times. Work was scarce and Christmas was upon us. We mutually agreed to pawn our wedding jewelry to buy Christmas for the children. We only got $100 for the two rings that cost us over $500 to purchase, but at the time we felt it was worth it so the children wouldn't miss out. We both cried about it, and we never were able to redeem them from the pawn shop.

We went for years after that with no wedding rings until one year, my oldest daughter but us new matching wedding bands. I now wear mine on my right hand since Danny's gone. I have Danny's safely tucked away until I can get a gold necklace to put it on.

But if you don't believe love at first sight is real, just think of us. Married 21 years and still would be if I could change history but a little.