Dear Annie: Whatever happened to promise rings?

Dear Annie: I read your column from the 16-year-old girl, “Love Wins,” who asked if it was OK to get secretly engaged to her boyfriend, both of them still in high school. I agree with your assessment that if something this important has to be a secret, something’s wrong.

I wanted to add that the practice of a promise ring is a forgotten tradition from only a few generations back. A boy about her boyfriend’s age would give his high school sweetheart an inexpensive ring and then they’d wait a couple of years to actually get engaged.

This act gives the couple a chance to get into the real world together and see what being an adult couple — with jobs, a college education, hobbies and goals that don’t always align — is like. It would also be something that’s publicly shared. Maybe “Love Wins” should go this route? — Married Young, Two Decades On

Dear Married Young: Thank you for your letter. A handful of other readers wrote in with the same sweet suggestion. I agree the intention behind a promise ring would capture the love these two feel for each other but without having to hide it or rush into a lifelong commitment until they are older and fully ready to do so — the perfect next step.