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Wrapped Around Your Finger

Album: 31: Days to Remember

Episode: 393

Lesson/Theme: Commitment

Bible Verse: John 15:13

Characters: Joanne, Bernard, Connie, Eugene, Whit, Katrina, Tom

Writer: Paul McCusker

Sound Designer:

Original Air Date: February 14, 1998

Last Air Date: July 24, 2009

Description:
After Eugene Meltsner installs a national antiques database for use in Jack and Joanne Allen's store, they convince him that the upcoming Valentine's Day holiday is the time to finally give Katrina Shanks an engagement ring. Furthermore, they offer to throw him an engagement party that weekend since her parents will be in town. Eugene picks out a ring from their inventory to surprise Katrina at the party. At Whit's End, Connie Kendall, Tom Riley, and Bernard Walton quiz Katrina about her relationship with Eugene. Connie urges her to be more openly affectionate, while Tom grills her about her parents' feelings about Eugene. When Eugene announces the engagement party, Katrina is thrilled and grabs him and kisses him. At the party, they are mutually surprised when Katrina's father presents her with a family heirloom, a fabulous engagement ring that has been passed down through the family for generations. Embarrassed, Eugene hides his ring until later. That evening when he finally presents his ring to Katrina, she is thrilled with his choice and decides to wear it instead of the family heirloom. When Katrina's parents discover this, they insist that she wear the ring they gave her out of respect for them and the family heritage. Although Katrina prefers Eugene's ring, even he agrees that she must honor her parents by going along with their wishes, and they set out to return the ring to Jack and Joanne. Katrina's parents stop by the antique shop on the way out of town just as Jack announces that he has discovered that the supposedly priceless family heirloom is really a piece of costume jewelry, worth only $100, while the ring that Eugene chose is worth substantially more. Horrified that the heirloom is worthless, Mr. Shanks agrees that it is better for Katrina to wear Eugene's token of love because of its greater value. Jack and Joanne press Eugene and Katrina to say when they will marry, but the pair hints that they might elope.

Questions:
Why did Mr. Shanks put so much importance on the family ring? When Katrina was faced with the dilemma of which ring to wear, Eugene said that "In the name of family peace, you should wear your great-grandmother's ring." For the greater good, have you ever had to do something that you didn't like? Eugene and Katrina were committed to their relationship so much that they wouldn't let material things get in the way. Can you think of any other "material things" besides a ring that could get in the way of a friendship?