hitsory of the ring

My object is the wedding ring which belonged to my great-grandmother (Margaret Irene Young Lavieille). It was given to her by Emile Lavieielle on their wedding day (sometime in the year of 1922) in a traditional Catholic ceremony. My great-grandmother had passed away on Sept 19th 1932 giving birth to my grandmother, and in her passing the ring was passed on. Rather than signify a marital tie, the ring became linked to a memory of a deceased family member. My mother received it on her 16th birthday, and I was given it in much the same manner. In this way, the ring has taken on a tradition which differs from its original purpose. Thomas speaks about the wedding ring in this weeks reading, and his notion that it may sustain an intergenerational female link is very much true in this case. However, this ring has come to reinforce ones female familial ties, not in weakened moments (such as being wed off and losing ones last name), but instead in a moments of strength ( such as turning 16 and becoming a “woman").

My great-grandmothers passing remains a secret to many in my family, and thus this ring, its associations, and its passage through time have been kept secretive. The fact that it is now in my possession has instilled a strong desire to continue its legacy. It is as though I have inherited more than just a ring, but rather been exposed to a private history or secret memory. For as long as the ring has been around it has been worn on the hand of a family member. Since receiving it I have never taken it off. Despite being on “display” its history has been masked, and even those who have helped in its passage have not always known what it represents.