Admire

–verb (used with object)

1. to regard with wonder, pleasure, or approval.
2. to take pleasure; like or desire.

To love is to admire with the heart; to admire is to love with the mind.  --Theophile Gautier

Among those whom I like or admire, I can find no common denominator, but among those whom I love, I can: all of them make me laugh. --W.H. Auden 

I have been trying to think about something to write about all day but there has been so much on my mind I couldn’t seem to come up with anything.  When I get the urge to write, one word will often strike me and I will expound upon that word and what it means to me.  When stumbled upon the word ‘admire’ while reading The Grapes of Wrath tonight--if you’ve never read the book it has been a good read--it leapt off of the page.  

The book tells the tale of the struggles of an Oklahoma family who treks across the country in search of a new life.  Their farm had been taken and they heard about revived hope in California.  The story takes many twists and turns but speaks of perseverance despite the unspeakable adversity the family has faced along their journey.  The word admire came up with the characters are given the opportunity to take some much needed work.  One character says that they would ‘admire’ to get a job.  The word stood out to me because it didn’t seem to fit into the context of the paragraph but when I did some research, I was mistaken.  He ‘admired’ getting a job because with ‘wonder and amazement’ he felt he had been given this opportunity.

I began to think about the connotations of the word in several different context and found that admiration is not simply approval but also something that we take pleasure in and/or desire.  As you may have gathered. I have had a LOT of time to myself lately (with everyone being scattered about the country) so admiration and thankfulness is something that I am feeling.  I take pleasure and desire to have those interactions back in my daily routine.  I no only care about the people in my life but I also take pleasure in their company.  Of course I have had social interaction while everyone has been away and I have built some very special relationships in the process.  I now have a new appreciation and admiration for those who have kept me company during my lonely days.

I think that all too often these days our society idolizes those who seem to constantly let us down.  I see stories everyday about celebrities who have fallen off the wagon, broken their vows to their partner or done something that got them into trouble.  I know that people will disappoint us but why do we look to people in the spotlight and not people who we interact with everyday to give our affections and admiration?  What is it about celebrity life that we admire and covet?  Stardom and glamor definitely draw us in but why can’t we feel like a star in our own lives?  Is it the monetary value of their worth?

I once heard: ‘rich is a state of mind not the state of our bank account.’  For me that rings so true.  I am very content with where I am in life but I do not have a bulging bank account from which to draw my happiness from but I do have many rich and fulfilling relationships that bring me joy.  I have never been a lover of money because money changes people.  I might not have the biggest house on the block, the most up-to-date technology, the most beautiful car and/or wear the most expensive clothing but I do not need those things for fulfillment.  In my younger years I did believe that I had to have those things but love does not come with a price tag.  I truly love and admire (take pleasure in) The Man, my children, my family and my closest friends.  I enjoy building bonds and relationships with them.  My admiration does not come from what they can do for me it comes from my complete wonder and amazement of their character.  Another bonus is their ability to keep me laughing, I am a huge fan of having fun and I truly love to laugh with those I admire most.