“Its interesting that we’re talking about wedding rings because we want to talk about a golden thread,” says Charli Reeves when her daughter, Tiffany Reeves Burke, asks her about her wedding rings.

Charli was 16 years old when she married Lloyd, Tiffany’s father. Lloyd was in the Army, and by the time he was discharged, Charli had given birth to Tiffany’s brother Anthony, and was pregnant with Tiffany’s sister, Charlotte. Charli and Lloyd decided to move to Georgia so that Lloyd could go to college. On the way to their new home they were stopped for speeding in a small town. The policeman offered to let them go if they paid him a bribe; otherwise he would take Lloyd to jail.

“We don’t have anything to give you,” said Charli.

Then she saw her rings. Despite Lloyd’s objections, Charli gave the officer her wedding rings to save Lloyd from jail.

Charli Reeves with her daughter Tiffany Reeves Burke and grandson Julius Sebastian Burke

Lloyd came through with another ring but then, years later, Tiffany got into New York University and needed a deposit for housing. Lloyd had been very sick and the family was broke. An acquaintance offered to give Charli the money to pay Tiffany’s deposit. Charli was reluctant but she didn’t want to deny her daughter. So she accepted the generous offer under one condition: that her benefactor take her ring until she could pay him back. He agreed to hold the ring until Charli could repay his loan. She did just that, reclaiming the ring later.

Charli looks at the rings as symbols of commitment that go both ways, saying, “The rings at times of crisis have served me well.”