// Promise //

There is a man who works at the seminary I work at who is neither a priest nor a seminarian, who is in fact a father and husband, who I often see sitting in front of the tabernacle or gazing lovingly at the carved out wooden statue of the Blessed Mother.

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When I slid the silver band around my ring finger on my left hand, I made a promise to wait for a man such as this.

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The ring reads "Ad Jesum per Mariam". To Jesus through Mary. A promise to run after You, hand in hand with Your Mother.

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I took the ring off before I hopped into the shower and in the late-for-work rush, forgot to put it back on, and I felt like a little part of me is missing.

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My phone routinely pops up reminder after reminder of things that I need to do because of how easily I forget. The ring is a sort of reminder that there is more. That the more could be never placing another ring on that finger.

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Because some times I forget. Some times, I look around at friends who are engaged, or married, or having babies, and I look down at my little silver ring, wondering if maybe time is leaving me behind.

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Yet, I've been told, I will never forget you. And it was a day in the chapel when I looked up at the monstrance and said "Promise?" and I heard "Promise" right back.

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I promise.