My story begins 10 years ago. My husband and I were in the process of beginning our lives. We didn't have much, so what we had meant a lot to us. We both had graduated in 1994, so we both had class rings from our high schools. Mine was from South Park and his was from Duquesne. I kept them both in a jewelry box, mementos of our high school years.

One day I was surprised to find that both rings had gone missing. I searched my entire home, and could not locate them. Needless to say, we were both devastated because we knew that we could never replace these items.

Over the years we had wondered what had happened to these rings, how they could both disappear without a trace. We figured that someone we had over must have taken them, and we both came to accept that they were lost forever.

Earlier this month, preparing for my graduation from college, I began looking at class rings to purchase. I remember thinking to myself, I wish I still had my high school class ring. I'd love to have both of them.

Later that morning, I received a call from my dad. He told me that an odd call had been left on his answering machine. It was from a woman stating that she had my class ring.

He then asked me if I had lost it. (My dad did not know I had lost my class ring; I never told them because they had paid so much for it and I thought that they would be upset if I did). I told him yes I did, about 10 years ago. (We didn't dwell on it right then.)

He gave me the woman's name and number and I called her. Needless to say, I was so excited, happy and bewildered.

She told me that she frequents flea markets and had bought my ring at a flea market in McKeesport -- for 25 cents. At first she thought it was just a regular ring because it was in a plastic bag. When she looked at it closer, she realized that it was a class ring. She showed it to her husband, who also could not believe that someone would sell another person's class ring. She knew that this was a keepsake -- and she felt as if she had to try to find the owner.

She first looked through the white pages, but since our numbers were unlisted and my last name is different since my marriage, that didn't get her anywhere. But she didn't stop there. She decided to contact the high school to see if she could locate the owner's phone number. South Park then gave her my parents' number.

We made plans to meet right away. When we met, I was almost in tears. I had thought this ring was gone forever.

She was such a kind lady. She did not have any intention of getting money and refused a reward from us. To her, the gift of returning this mere keepsake to me, and seeing my joy, was all that she needed.

There are not many people out there today who would make the extra effort to return something of this nature. She gave me a gift of true kindness. She will always be in my heart and I will always be grateful for what she did.

-- CYNTHIA RENEE HODGE, Bethel Park