What does it mean “To Cherish”?  How is it different from the phrase,”To Love”?

Words can stir our emotions (when we are in a neutral state), and words can reflect the intensity of our emotions (when we are in an intensely emotional state.)

Have you ever “cherished a moment” or “cherished a person”? I am sure you have. Have you ever “cherished a moment” when another living thing (like a person or a beloved pet) was not there? I suspect that we can “cherish a sunset”, or “cherish a view of the Grand Canyon” but that language usually is spoken in the context of a shared experience with a loved one.

People say, “I love my car”, and “I love you”. We rarely say, “I cherish my car”.

What is the textbook definition of “cherish”? To cherish is to treat with affection, to hold dear, to protect and care for, to care for deeply, and to treat with tenderness, to name just a few.

Tonight over a cup of tea with friends, while we were discussing the topic of LOVE, someone mentioned the word. “Cherish”. I was stopped in my metaphoric tracks. (I was seated at the time.)  I told the person who mentioned the word that she should write a blog entry on the subject, as she is writing a blog on love.

When I got home, I continued  feeling this phrase, “To Cherish”, and felt a calling to write this article,”To Cherish and To Love”.  I suspect that if 20 people write on this topic, there will be 20 very different perspectives.

Why did I feel so deeply about this word? Not sure. Could it be the recent death of my uncle, the death of a close friend a few years ago, or the death of my father 8 years ago?

When I was a small child, I recall asking my parents why we had to “waste so many hours sleeping”?  When I learned we spend 1/3 of our lives sleeping, I felt this sadness of lost opportunity to live life. This was, of course, before I had any understanding of the medical reasons for sleep.I was, however, always acutely aware of the passage of time, and even as a child, sad for wasted moments of life.

As I get older, more people I love and cherish are dying. I have always cherished them. Our lifespans are limited, and some people die unexpectedly. I now savor the moments more, experience the people I love with greater presence of mind, and cherish them  more deeply.