I have made some jokes about the language challenges of Asians learning English. But y’all know I do it with love. So there are two beautiful Asian folk tales I’d like to share with you in this and an upcoming post.

Why should the wedding ring be worn on the fourth finger? There is a beautiful and convincing explanation given by the Asian community.

• Thumb represents your parents
• Second or index finger represents your siblings
• Middle finger represents yourself
• Fourth  or ring finger represents your life partner
• Last or little, aka pinkie finger represents your children

Open your palms (face to face), bend the middle fingers and hold them together back to back. Now open and hold the remaining three fingers and the thumb tip to tip as shown in the figure below.

Try to separate your thumbs representing the parents and they will open because your parents are not destined to live with you for your whole life. You typically leave them to live on your own sooner or later.

Rejoin your thumbs as before and separate your index fingers representing siblings. They will also open because your brothers and sisters will have their own families and lead their own separate lives.

Now join the Index fingers and separate your little fingers representing your children. They will open too because your children will usually get married and settle down on their own some day.

Finally, join your little fingers and try to separate your ring fingers representing your significant other. You may be surprised to see that you cannot separate your fingers. As told to me, this is because soul mates have to remain together all their lives, through thick and thin!

Okay, I’ll admit this is sappy but fun. Be well.