Cherish the Here and Now

On Fridays, I love to stretch myself by participating in Lisa-Jo's 5 minute Friday blog party.  Lisa-Jo gives us a word and we write for 5 minutes, writing from the heart, and not doing endless revisions of what we have written.  Just plain and simple off-the-cuff writing.  Visit her at her blog, Lisa-Jo Baker: tales from a Gypsy Mama, if you would like to participate.

Today's word is: 

CHERISH

 

I grew up in the sixties and the seventies, so when I saw the word cherish, I thought of the song made popular in 1966 by the group, The Association.  I loved that song!  However, it is really a song about a love that was not returned.

Kind of a bummer.

There are lots of things to cherish, though. Memories I hold close to my heart, such as the time I met and fell in love with my husband, sweet memories of my babies when they were little and their first words and cute little mannerisms and sayings. No one can take those away from me.

Mulling this over, I realize the things to cherish are the here and now.  After all, you'll always have memories of the past, and the future is a mystery that you won't know until you experience it.  But the here and now passes by so quickly.

Cherish it while you can.

Hold your loved ones close.

Enjoy the stage your children are in right now.

Love on your moms and dads and aunts and uncles.

For this time in your life will soon be a cherished memory.

STOP

For those of you who remember the song, here are the lyrics:

THE ASSOCIATION
"Cherish"

(Terry Kirkman)

Cherish is the word I use to describe
All the feeling that I have hiding here for you inside
You don't know how many times I've wished that I had told you
You don't know how many times I've wished that I could hold you
You don't know how many times I've wished that I could
Mold you into someone who could
Cherish me as much as I cherish you

Perish is the word that more than applies
To the hope in my heart each time I realize
That I am not gonna be the one to share your dreams
That I am not gonna be the one to share your schemes
That I am not gonna be the one to share what
Seems to be the life that you could
Cherish as much as I do yours

Oh I'm beginning to think that man has never found
The words that could make you want me
That have the right amount of letters, just the right sound
That could make you hear, make you see
That you are drivin' me out of my mind

Oh I could say I need you but then you'd realize
That I want you just like a thousand other guys
Who'd say they loved you With all the rest of their lies
When all they wanted was to touch your face, your hands
And gaze into your eyes

Cherish is the word I use to describe
All the feeling that I have hiding here for you inside
You don't know how many times I've wished that I had told you
You don't know how many times I've wished that I could hold you
You don't know how many times I've wished that I could
Mold you into someone who could
Cherish me as much as I cherish you

And I do... cherish you
And I do... cherish you

Cherish is the word