Maria Santiago

The Claddagh

Many years ago, my great grandmother saved a special ring that was passed by generations, it was called "The Claddagh Ring" which is a ring worn by all types of women in Ireland. One day, when I went to visit my great-grandmother on my birthday in Dublin and my seanmhathair told me she had something really special for me, I was so curious to know what it was. I gasped when I saw her take a small box from the drawer and opened it the words she said were "This ring went from generation to generation, all the women in the family wore it, and now it's your turn to wear it, with this ring one day you'll meet your prince, but for now you should wear it on your right hand with the heart pointing out." After that day, the only thing you could see on my face was a smile and I did everything with the ring. Four years later, I met a handsome guy from Ireland; he had big ocean blue eyes, rosy lips, smooth black hair, and a smile that melts your heart away, his name was Shane Byrnes. We went to the same University in Indiana, he was studying Engineer and I was studying medicine, even though we were so busy with our studies we made time to spend together. About two years later we both graduated and began our career paths, I had to go to Utah and Shane went back to Ireland. We kept in touch all the time even though I had to work day and night, I sent him a text when I could. Suddenly, we lost contact and we went our separate ways but my great-mother always told me that what's meant to be will never be broken and I never left him out of my mind, a year later, I fly back to Ireland because they offer me a job as a Neurosurgeon on the new hospital building which was built by Shane. That day I saw him and he smiled and hugged me, he was telling me everything he went through and how much he missed me, I'm not going to lie I was so happy to see him again. A couple of years later, Shane and I got married he bought me a Claddagh ring and put it on my left hand with the heart pointing up which means I married the love of my life and we had 3 precious kids a girl, and twin boys. Now we have 10 years of marriage and my ring will be passed to my daughter Aine when she turns 20 and that ring will still pass by generation and generation thanks to all the women in my family.