Everyone has someone or something that they cherish. It could be our home, our family, or our prized possessions. The word cherish means to cultivate with care and affection. I remember the first bicycle that I got as a birthday gift. It was a beaten-down bike that perhaps cost a few dollars. I got a lot of bruises by the end of the day as I had never ridden a bicycle before and fell down time and again. I still cherish the exhilaration that I felt when I was finally able to ride about 50 feet till I fell down again. I got home past sunset with bleeding elbows and knees and a broken chain and the seat of the bike pointing sideways. I also had a huge smile on my face and was brimming with elation. I will cherish that day forever. It was not a shiny new bike. I definitely was not a rider with great talent because it took me a long time to learn. My body was injured and my bike was broken. And I cherish that day? About 11 years later my father got me a shiny new red and blue motorcycle. I remember fretting for days over the half-inch-long scratch on the gas tank caused by me as I was filling the gas. Every incremental blemish or frown in the leather seat bruised me from inside. I vividly remember the day when I decided that I will stop caring about the appearance of the motorcycle and went for a long ride with the lightness of having stopped cherishing my want of having a bike with a pristine appearance. The less I cherish or have to cherish, the more my joy is increasing by leaps and bounds. My definition of the word cherish has changed to hold dear, not possessions but to friendships, feelings and emotions. This also has involved my getting away from a lot of friendships, feelings, and emotions that I had but were plain toxic. The less I cherish, the more I cherish my life……