Giants and Juniper

18” X 24” X 1.5”

Acrylic on Canvas

I had been raking leaves amongst the giants in our yard, a Blue Spruce, a Black Walnut, and a Sycamore tree. As the leaves piled up, I would fill large, black garbage bags with the multitude of leaves, and place them on the curb for pickup. After finishing the job, I put my tools away and went into the house. I then realized my wedding ring was missing. I panicked! I went into a frenzy! I plead with my wife, what am I going to do? It could be anywhere in our third of an acre lot. It could even be in one of the many black bags at the curb. After what seemed like hours of combing the ground and searching through endless bags of leaves, the task seemed futile. The ring was lost forever.

Not only was it my wedding ring, but it was also my father's wedding ring. My mother gave it to me after he passed away many years before. I had kept it in a safe place until I met and married my wife, Robin. After our son was born, I hoped to pass it down to him when the time came. I thought that moment was gone forever.

Two years later, my son Eli and I had been working in the front yard, pruning, shaping, and even removing some overgrown junipers. While cleaning up debris, I noticed something embedded in the dirt. At first, I thought it was a small, brass irrigation fitting. When I kicked it loose, to my amazement, it was my wedding ring. The precious symbol of love and commitment that I feared was gone forever, laid there in front of me. It had been a dreadful two years. Every time I looked at my left hand I saw a void. It sickened me every time I thought about it. But there it was, dirty, tarnished, and beautiful. At that moment, I felt like a giant amongst the junipers.