I'm so sorry this happened to you, lake, and to you also, Titchou, thetalady, ARKTTKA, and jolene's sister.
I still have the badge with which I was initiated. It was one of the few pieces of jewelry I brought with me when I moved (rather abruptly) to a new city for a new job.
My wedding ring is another story. About a decade ago, I had it resized as I had lost some weight. I took it to a jeweler whom my parents trusted. When it was ready, my mother picked it up, took it home so that I could pick it up from her when I next visited - and then she lost my ring.
To her credit, she had the jeweler make me a new ring, at her expense. My husband lent his wedding ring to the jeweler (as our rings were a matched set) and the jeweler made a ring in my size using the design on my husband's ring.
My parents have since passed away. My husband and I went through their house very carefully, but the original ring never turned up.
Anyone who doesn't know the story would think the ring I'm currently wearing is the ring I got on our wedding day. But I know ...
Similarly, nothing can quite replace your first badge.
