I have always been an earrings girl. Ever since I got my ears pierced at the age of 5, I have enjoyed a variety of earrings. Unfortunately, my husband hates them. So for the past 10 years, I haven’t worn earrings.
It may sound odd to stop doing something you love just because your spouse disapproves, but for my husband, earrings are a complete turn-off. He can’t explain it in any way that makes sense. “It’s just a hole in your ear,” he says, shuddering. But for him, it is just disgusting. So how could I wear something that makes him shudder like that?
He had hoped that our daughter, now 9, would never ask to get her ears pierced. But in the past year, she has made it pretty clear that she wants it done. So for her ninth birthday, I took her to a medical clinic that specializes in piercing and got it done. And the second I saw that bling in her ears, I remembered how much I’d loved wearing my own earrings.
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I got my ears pierced for the first time when I was younger than my daughter is now. At 5, I liked sparkly pink hearts and red, sparkle studs. As I grew, so did my earring collection. I had wooden parrots that dangled to my shoulders and hoops I hung with charms from my charm bracelets. I had golden baskets that dangled just a small amount and lockets that went down even further. My mother also loved earrings, but she loved them huge and dangly, the more beaded, the better.
I loved that gypsy look she rocked, especially when she wore her hair back and I never walked past a pair of danglers without thinking of my mother, especially after she died when I was 16. Her love of earrings even cost her one earlobe when an earring got caught and ripped right through the bottom. Luckily it healed and she was able to wear earrings again, but my husband often cited that story when I brought up going back to earrings.
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“What about your mom’s ears? Why would you do that to yourself?” But mostly, I didn’t wear them because he didn’t like them. The truth is, in marriage, we make compromises like that all the time. I wear my hair long because he prefers longer hair, he threw out 100 T-shirts I hated from college because I didn’t like them. He wears certain clothing and glasses I like because I like them. And it’s not like I missed earrings, especially once I had kids who could pull on them.
But when my daughter got her earrings, all of a sudden, I missed that little bit of ear bling. I wear my hair up all the time and forgot how much more feminine earrings can make that look. So I started wearing earrings again. My husband doesn’t love it. But he’s a pretty reasonable guy. It’s our thing and he gets that.
My daughter and I have bonded over earrings and I have promised that when she’s a bit older, I will give her some of my mom’s pairs. I forgot how much I loved to wear them. I adore my husband, too, of course. And compromising in marriage is part of the deal. But after 10 years of doing it his way, I am going to rock some studs in my ears again. Maybe he will learn to like them. But even if he doesn’t, they really aren’t for him. My ears, my bling.
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