Thanks to Patricia J. Franz at Reverie for hosting Poetry Friday this week. Thanks to Linda Mitchell at A Word Edgewise for hosting Spiritual Journey Thursday this month.
I’ve decided to live this week, this last wretched week of the presidential campaign, with joy and anticipation. We will not be divided forever. We have just one world, and it’s beautiful. Here is a poem I found in Linda’s reflection paragraph about her one little word on her blog post.
My one little word for 2024 was CHERISH. I wrote about it here and here. I also lived a huge chapter of cherishing for most of the year when I found out my granddaughter was coming. Then the cherishing continued on August 13 when I met, held dear, and treasured my precious Phoebe until we had to say goodbye to her on September 8. Now, even more than before, I have cherished my 2.5-year-old grandson.
Today, I’m finding a need to cherish America and the hope, freedom, and justice that is and will make it a more perfect Union. So I will carry on cherishing 2024.
Amen and amen. Cherish is such a beautiful word and sentiment. I agree that living with joy this last week of this decades long (feels that way) election is the way to go. When I feel myself turning downward, I change activities, stand up, move, get a drink of water. It’s important to be an athlete of democracy these days. We’ve trained for this. It’s go time!
I love that idea that we are democracy athletes. Got to keep training, no matter who wins!
Denise, we all need to cherish what we have because we don’t know what tomorrow may bring. We live in a great country and I must believe that people will think clearly when going to vote on Tuesday. Hopefully, after Tuesday we will be able to move on, cherish what makes us great, and be the United States.
Bob, such a truth. “We don’t know what tomorrow may bring.” Yes, here’s to cherishing what makes us truly the “United” States.
I think I’ve told you before how much I love the word Cherish. Do you remember the song “Cherish is a word I use to describe”?
I love what you did with Linda’s post. How did you make this image?
Thank you, Margaret. Yes, I remember you talking about the word Cherish, and the song, I think of it every time I think of cherish. For this image, I just copied her quote into Word, shortened the lines, and used the highlighter to highlight black and yellow words. Then I used the snipping tool to make an image.
Thanks for the uplifting poem and your encouraging words of hope and positivity. It’s been gloom and doom in our country for awhile, and I’m with you about recognizing and cherishing the good in our lives with gratitude.
Oh gosh, Denise, I HOPE so! I want to cherish hope…It may be all we have!
And I do think it is beautiful that within another’s reflection, you found joy. Yes, please…more of that. But I suppose I need to be willing to look –no matter what happens after Tuesday!
Fingers crossed!
Along with this post, the name of your blog says it all: Dare to Care. We have to do that every day in every situation. And it’s hard, but worth it.
Thank you for this hopeful take! It’s been a rough few months.
I cherish every part of the life I’ve had the pleasure of living in our country, Denise, even through the challenges, we’ve managed to move on to better. These final few days fill me with both worry and hope! Thank you for your positive words, a grand post to end Poetry Friday!
Denise, your word, cherish, makes me think of what I cherish. Yes, America is so important in our lives. I don’t want to forget that, especially with the election around the corner. I pray there will be no division, no hate, and a feeling of acceptance on Tuesday. Hold on to your word cherish. It is one that will be in your heart forever. Your America poem should be at every election center.