I have found the Ring of Power

Ok, this is the kind of thing you probably shouldn't admit because its corny and demonstrates what a geek you are. I'm having a lapse in judgement, so here goes. I consciouslly think of my wedding ring as my Ring of Power.

Yes, its related to Tolkien in that I would have never had the thought if it wasn't for the books. I don't actually think in terms of Middle Earth, though. No Hobbits or wizards. Also it is partly because of the books about Thomas Covenant, in which his wedding ring becomes a powerful magic talisman in a another world. Those books contain a lot about faith and fealty. So these, combined with the traditional symbolism of the wedding ring, give birth to my personal little mythology.

We can give symbols great power. Because they change our mind, they change our world. Everything in life has its tradeoffs, but even so my marriage is a very positive force in my life. When I'm down, when I'm discouraged, I can look at my ring and be reminded of how lucky I am. Of what I have to come home to.

But the power of the Ring is more than just to remind of sunny days. It is also a reminder of responsibility. When discouraged, in dark days, we can be tempted to wallow in self pity, to give up, to sink beneath dark seas of trouble. When that happens, counting your blessings can help. So can counting your responsibilities. When Jae and I tied our lives together, we gave up some of the freedom to be unhappy, unproductive, defeatist, pathetic. We all go through phases, of course, but if I linger in one of these phases I start to drag Jae down with me. Sometimes when I'm being lazy or pathetic, I look at my ring, and I think to myself, "I have the responsibility and the power to snap out of it." Not that it always works. I have a long way to go as a human and a husband. The power of the Ring aids me.