...and it was what I wanted. I don't wear jewelry and for me personally an engagement ring seemed an unnecessary and archaic custom. I love him and he loves me and I don't need a financial promise for that. We live together, have known each other for 13 years and have been together about 7 of those. He's helping me take classes to further my art career. We are a team. There was no need and no desire for a ring.
I've always 'oohed' and 'aaahed' and exclaimed at the prettiness and
bigness of other girls rings, but honestly I felt nothing about the ring itself. I never in all my life pictured myself with one. Oohing
was a social obligation and nothing more to me. As a girl we are
supposed to "ooh' over rings and babies, so I fulfilled my obligation. Any emotion I felt was for the couple being happy. I'm happy that they're happy, and if the ring is a symbol of that happiness for them than it does deserve to be oohed and aahed over.
My mother never had an engagement ring, as they were very young and her wedding was a bit hurried what with my sister on the way.
He kept asking "Are you sure? you're not just saying you don't want a ring." And I said no no no and I meant it. After hearing about our engagement people would immediately look to my finger, which is natural and understandable. But some people after hearing about our engagement either gave him snark about not getting me a ring or actually felt compelled to pull me aside and make sure that I wasn't being cheated somehow. A friend offered to give me a dummy ring just to forgo the awkwardness, which I declined. I know it's not easy going against convention, but I did find it all a bit insulting.
Has anyone else gone without the engagement ring?