Lovejoy

Shannon and Japhet were introduced by mutual friends at an annual spiritual retreat in Upstate New York. Yet, neither talked to one another beyond a brief introduction. Shannon connected with Japhet after the class and asked if he'd be open to presenting to her undergraduate students about his past work in community and political organizing. The class presentation never happened but they kept in touch nearly every day from the first phone call. Within months they began flying back and forth to see one another. Less than a year later, Shannon crept closer to Maine, Japhet's home, taking a job on a therapeutic ranch in Central Vermont. By year's end they made plans to live together in Portland, Maine and bring their lives together for good.

Just shy of a few days before Shannon left to lead a study abroad to India and Nepal, they drove down to Virginia to visit her parents and get ready for a long separation. While visiting Shannon's aunt and uncle in Lexington, VA, they went for a long walk on the rural, rolling hills just outside of town. On the final stretch back to the house on Wee Darnock Way, along a wooden fence and open field with two pine trees in the middle of it, Japhet got down on one knee and asked Shannon to marry him.

All three rings were designed by a family friend. They were made from two of Japhet's grandmother's rings passed down to him. Shannon's engagement ring is a thick gold band, strong and meant to withstand working hands in Maine. The small diamonds were randomly hammered into the band, like stars poking through a golden sky. The thinner wedding band has a tree bark-like finish. Together, they represent the trees and stars, two things we have a lot of in the deep woods of Maine. Japhet's wedding band was sanded with a rough finish complementing the hammered look of the engagement ring. The old gold in these rings may have taken on a new look yet represents the same strong bond from which they came.