In many traditional marriage vows, you will find the word “cherish” in a promise made between couples. “I promise to love, honor, and cherish you as long as we both shall live.”
This is a lovely sentiment, but what does it really mean to cherish your partner, and why is it so important for your relationship?
According to Merriam-Webster Dictionary, cherish means “to hold dear,” “feel or show affection for,” “to keep or cultivate with care and affection,” and “to entertain or harbor in the mind deeply and resolutely.”
When you cherish your partner, you view him or her as a treasure, someone you value so highly and care for so tenderly that you would never want to say or do anything to cause pain or harm. You view your partner as the most special person in the world.
You may have cherished a material object in the past?a shiny new car, a family heirloom, or a prized garden. You took extra care to ensure the safety, protection, and maintenance of this thing. You stood back and enjoyed the satisfaction and fulfillment this thing gave you 먹튀검증.
Says Gary L. Thomas, author of the book, Cherish: The One Word That Changes Everything for Your Marriage:
You don’t put a Tiffany engagement ring in a shoebox. You don’t frame a Rembrandt in a Popsicle stick frame. You wouldn’t use a genuine George Washington autograph as a coaster.
The way we treat something acknowledges whether we cherish it or hold it with indifference or contempt. To truly cherish something is to go out of our way to show it off, protect it, and honor it. We want others to see and recognize and affirm the value that we see.
But of course, a material object doesn’t talk back and push your hot buttons. It doesn’t make demands or leave its dirty underwear on the floor. It’s harder to cherish your love partner and maintain your ability to cultivate your relationship with care and affection.
But cherishing one another is a foundational part of a deeply satisfying, mindful relationship. Says Thomas, “Learning to truly cherish each other turns marriage from an obligation into a delight. It lifts marriage above a commitment to a precious priority.”
When you cherish your spouse or partner, you show a willingness to put your partner first with a sense of loving devotion. You treat him or her with gentleness and provide an emotionally stable and nurturing environment. You hold your partner in the highest esteem, even when you experience minor irritations and frustrations.
When you cherish your partner, you also offer ongoing acceptance, a gentle understanding that no one is perfect, as we discussed in the previous habit. Your love and devotion for your partner trump any flaws or deficiencies.
To truly cherish your partner, you should also be willing to foster their growth and development?to give the emotional, moral, and spiritual support they require to continue to evolve and flourish as an individual throughout the marriage or relationship.
