"The quality of love and the duration of a relationship are in direct proportion to the depth of the commitment by both people to making the relationship successful. Commit yourself wholeheartedly and unconditionally to the most important people in your life." -Brian Tracy

I have observed that love, like gold, has gradients of quality. I met and married my wife Kim nearly twenty years ago. For our wedding, I bought Kim a gold wedding ring. Since we paid for our own wedding, the purchase of her ring left us with just enough money to choose a sterling silver ring for myself.

Some time ago, I misplaced the sterling silver ring. As I dwelled upon the loss and significance of that ring, the thought entered my mind that my love and commitment to Kim had actually deepened over the years since our wedding. Sterling silver was an appropriate symbol for the early years of our marriage; for although I loved my wife, my commitment to her in the early years was more from a sense of duty and obligation than from unselfish delight.

However, I soon came to the conclusion that the quality of my love for my wife was no longer adequately represented by a sterling silver ring. Perhaps it was the incredible experience of raising our first son Nate together; or, perhaps it was my, albeit delayed, recognition that my wife loves me as I am -