Nurture

What a lovely word.  Nurture.  Who doesn’t want to be nurtured?  Just think of everything in life that we take the time to nurture.  All the things and people and places we love, hopefully, we nurture. 

Surprisingly, Merriam-Webster defines nurture as this:

1) to supply with nourishment

2) Educate

3) To further the development of

I say surprisingly, because for such a warm word, it has such a dry definition (sorry M-W).  To me Nurture is to want the best for someone or thing and to encourage growth through love.  It has a beautiful feminine, motherly quality to it, as it implies taking care of another in a way, or at least providing the resources needed to get to the state where the person or object can take care of itself.

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There is so much you can Nurture.  You can nurture a plant, a person, an idea, your body, your spirit, or a physical place.  Nurture is taking loving care.  Nurture is wishing only goodness for someone or thing.  Nurture is what we hopefully all are doing for ourselves and for each other.  Nurturing the parts within us and those around us that need some love, encouragement, and growth.

Nurture.  What a beautiful word.