To love and to cherish

Relishing an old-fashioned word rich with meaning

As part of my anniversary gift for my wife yesterday, I bought a pair of his and her – or, more accurately, Mr and Mrs – mugs. Inside the rim of the mugs it says, ‘to have and to hold, love and to cherish’.

The word ‘cherish’ stood out to me.

I remember it from our vows all those years ago.

The Oxford Dictionary of English defines it like this:

To protect and care for someone lovingly.

Cherishing someone encompasses treating them with affection, protecting them, caring for them, and holding them dear.

It is a beautiful, rich, and emotive word.

Sadly, according to Google, its usage has been in decline since the 1850's. But I love it. And it is a richly fitting word to be part of wedding vows.

Love has become such a common word. Though saying, ‘I love you’ can still be a loaded phrase, I wonder if, when thinking about the one who we love, cherish is the more powerful and more meaningful.

Here’s to cherishing those we love.