A Good Word

An Anonymous commenter (who was that anyway?) said today that he/she hopes my next man cherishes me.

Cherish is a good word.  

Cherish is a word that I have hardly considered although I think it was in my wedding vows. OOPS.  I probably should have given that some thought.  Maybe I have never expected to be cherished.

Does anyone expect to be cherished anymore?  It seems like a lost word, much less a lost art.

Love is defined as  profoundly tender, passionate affection for another person.

while the definition of 

Cherish is to treat with affection and tenderness, to hold dear. 

I believe that I have been loved.  I don’t know if I have ever been cherished. 

Possibly my first boyfriend cherished me.  He made me feel safe and like I was worth gold.  

Is that being cherished? Unfortunately, I was but a child.

I sure don’t feel today as if I have been held dear.  Stanley surely never made me feel like I was ‘held dear’.  He made me feel exhausted and unheard and like I was brain dead.  Oh!  He also made me feel like a parrot because I had one recurring line, “are you OK?”   And he made me feel exhausted because I was constantly taking care of his lazy ass.

I don’t like him worth a shit, just in case any of you were wondering.  I like him even less than I did.  He is on tonight and before I got my stuff together to leave  I heard him ask Jumping Bean to get him a beer. 

  

He said he was just kidding after I said, “DON’T YOU DARE”. 

I have my shovel outside the door just in case it takes more than a few licks with my purse.

My children cherish me.  I was very upset about the repeat of the water heater disaster and broke down several times over the weekend.  Unfortunately they were witnesses to this although I tried hard for them not to see me.  They were concerned and hugged me often and tried so hard to make me feel better.

They hold me dear. 

If I ever say wedding vows again, the word ‘Cherish’ will be included.  And I will think about that word before I say it.  And it will mean everything to me.