One night –on or about September 26, 2012 — my longtime boyfriend and I had a discussion about the future. It was the conversation I had had in my head for a long, long time.

At this point, we had been together for more than 11 years (which seems like a million billion years), and had been living under the same roof for more than half of those years.

It was time to have The Talk.

I had laughed and cried about it with many of my girlfriends. I had told myself it would never happen. I had told myself, maybe I’d be old and gray by the time it happened. I was also told by a member of my boyfriend’s family that the men in this group just move slow, and to be patient.

So, that night, my patience somewhat paid off. My boyfriend agreed that it was time to take our relationship to the next level.

The next day, we headed to the Engagement Ring store. I felt like pinching myself. All those years of tears. All that wondering. It was all becoming closer to reality than I ever imagined.

And boy was it fun!

I tried on and passed on so many rings. I had never really paid attention to them before. Everything before that day looked the same to me. But once it became *my* reality, everything changed.

Instead of Goldilocks, I was Goldirocks. I tried on different styles, and nothing felt or looked quite right. We tried another store, and after a while, the fun started to wear off. Instead, I became anxious. What if another 11 years was going to pass because I couldn’t find “the one”?

Eventually I did find a setting that  was perfect for me. So, I was half way there. Finally. Then the search for the perfect stone was in order.