The idea of a "promise ring" has been around for years. If you look back to 16th century England, you will see men giving their future brides rings to show commitment leading up to marriage. It's similar to an engagement ring and it gives off the "Hey, I'm taken" vibe. On paper, it's a cute sentiment and I'm sure the ladies of the 16th century were digging it.
Flash forward to the 21st century and promise rings are still very present in our society. Boys give girls promise rings stating that they will be "together forever". Receiving a promise ring from your boyfriend has some serious meaning behind it. Essentially, that meaning is that you will get married someday. The "promise" that these rings were intended to represent is the promise of marriage. But has our generation lost the purpose behind it? Girls Instagram their Pandora Princess rings with a long and sappy caption about how in love they are. The ring gives off the idea that the relationship is stable, committed, and strong. If you've been dating for a long time and you genuinely see a future with your partner, then who am I to stop you from buying a promise ring? I simply think that they can raise expectations and lead to a lot of hurt.
I'm nineteen years old, but I've known girls as young as 16 receiving these rings. Isn't that a little young to be making that kind of comitment? Don't get me wrong, I think it's a very sweet sentiment, but what is the rush?
Now before you think I'm bitter or I don't believe in the magic of "young love" let me clear something up. I think being in love at a young age is one of the greatest things on the planet. I, myself, have been in love at a young age. It was honestly one of the most important experiences of my life. I never got a promise ring and to be truthful I never even thought about wanting one. The idea of marriage truly terrifies me. I still feel so young and wouldn't want to be tied down by that sort of commitment.
I've had friends who went through nasty break ups after recieving a promise ring and it shatters my heart when they say "He said we would be together forever". If you want to get your girlfriend a necklace, be my guest. But if you are buying one of my best friends a ring and telling her that you want to marry her someday, you better be damn sure that's what you want.
Relationships are fragile at any age. They require effort, commitment, and a lot of patience. If you don't see yourself possessing all of these qualities then you should walk right back into Pandora and get your money back.
Buy concert tickets, take a vacation, just don't make a promise that you don't plan on keeping.
