Cherished

So, I recently...like a week and a half ago...bought a 2012 calendar. I know, I know. One month (soon to be two) is already behind us, and the only explanation I can offer you is that my life and schedule have fallen painstakingly behind in ALL things.

However, I picked up an adorable and somewhat whimsical calendar from Wal-Mart for less than $5. Little did I know, this bright and cheerful wall art would not only help me keep track of my days, but it would also inspire a monthly series for the blog.

Each month, I will write an entry about the word featured on my wall calendar. I'm kind of excited about it actually. I mean, I only know February and March's words so far (because I always like to preview what picture falls on my birthday month!) I am doing my best not to peek until it is time to begin the writing process!
Geek...Why, yes, I'm aware.



Word of the Month: Cherished.

Cherished... Aahhh!! I just love the sound of that word as it rolls off your tongue and out of your mouth. It seems like it belongs in some old school, black and white film and not a wall calendar. It is beautiful and deep and unable to be completely defined (like the best, most pure, and most wonderful things in life are).

The truth is: We all want to be cherished. I don't know a person on this planet, man or woman, elderly person or small child, who does not harbor a secret desire to be "held dear, felt or shown affection for, kept or cultivated with care and affection, and entertained or harbored in the mind deeply or resolutely."

I desire to be an integral part of the people in my world's lives. I desire to be cherished. To not merely be a fleeting influence or presence that is there one minute and gone the next, but to be interwoven in the hearts, minds, and spirits of those around me. To be thought of, felt for, remembered fondly, and laughed with (and sometimes at...I'm a believer that is good for the soul too!). To be a blessing, to be a member of another's memories, to touch lives whether it is the lives of my family, friends, the children I teach, or the people who walk into where I work. I desire to be someone who is cherished.

But, more importantly, I harbor an earnest and consuming desire to cherish others. I want to be the type of person who finds something in each person worth cherishing, worth savoring, worth remembering. I want random words and colors and thoughts and songs and pictures to make me think of someone...and not just think of someone, but think of someone fondly. I want to take the time to tell (in word, action, and prayer)the people I love, the people who surround me with goodness, comfort, color, prayer, accountability, strength, humor, wit, wisdom, gentleness, and humility, that I CHERISH them. They are treasures. They are interwoven in the fabric of my heart, spirit, and life, and that wherever I go from here, I am indebted to their Godly love, encouragement, and patience (oh, massive amounts of patience). That I am who I am because they were who they are to me, and they allowed God to use them mightily in the big and the small things.

So, to all the colorful people who make up my little world: You are cherished!