We live in a society that often harps on the size of a woman's engagement ring. It's the perception that the bigger the rock, the better.
But when Rachel Pedersen wed Poul Pedersen in October 2013 (13 days after they met), she focused on their love rather than the ring he gave her. She was a single mom at the time raising a daughter, now 5-year-old Dakota, who felt an instant connection. The couple, who has a 1-year-old daughter together named Delilah, knew they were "soul mates."
Yet, many people around her scrutinized the ring. She even recalls someone saying, "You could wear a bigger ring for important events, so people don't think you're not successful." In turn, Rachel decided to address the criticism with a powerful post on Facebook.
"I shared my feelings about my ring, because I felt like it needed to be said. Our society is so obsessed with bigger, better, shinier," the 27-year-old living in Eden Prairie, MN, told LittleThings. "I knew I couldn’t be the only one who felt like that doesn’t indicate a successful marriage."
And she was right: she certainly wasn't the only one who had a different mindset. Her post was shared more than 49,000 and liked by more than 196,000 people. It also encouraged other married women to speak up.
"You know, the reaction I wasn’t expecting was to see thousands of women sharing their own rings. It was so beautiful," she said. "To know that I was able to speak truth, and give these women affirmation. Love transcends ring size!"
Read Rachel's powerful message below…
“Yes, I know that my wedding ring is small. Friends and family often ask me when I’m going to have it ‘upgraded’…
After all, it doesn’t represent the level of success we are achieving.”
“I’ve even had one person say, ‘You could wear a bigger ring for important events, so people don’t think you’re not successful.’
Wait a minute… Since when did the size of someone’s ring become an indication of success?! For me, the ring is SO much more.”
“My ring symbolizes a whirlwind, storybook, ‘make you sick’ love story…
It reminds me of how my husband and I met and fell at [sic] in love in [sic] one night at a Perkin’s diner.
He worked as a window washer, and I was a single mother.”
“One short week later, and we professed our love to one another, him leading the conversation.
We couldn’t stop dreaming of our future, so excited to have a baby, buy a house, and fall asleep together every night.”
“We couldn’t wait for the future. So we didn’t.
13 days after meeting, we eloped.
I didn’t even THINK about a ring until my husband surprised me before the ceremony.
He drained his savings to gift me with a small token of his love.”
“I say small, only because it pales in comparison with how big his love is, even now, after years of marriage.
That, my friends, is success to me.”
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