[Iroh is all about fearless comforting pats! He's noticed the ring, too, but as far as he's aware it's just jewellery. Culture is hard.]

Ahh, I see. [He folds his hands on the railing.] I have had my fair share of regrets....events that passed me by before I could truly recognise how important they were. Sometimes that is the way of things - sometimes we cannot know what we value until we look back at its loss and feel deep grief.