Faux feeling Something done to me
Cherished
Not a feeling: a thought about what someone did.
Also known as adored, treasured
‘I think you hold me dear.’
Why it’s not a feeling
Cherished means believing someone holds you dear, one of the tenderest things you can conclude about another person’s heart. It remains a conclusion, though, about their love rather than your own state. Held that way, you might notice warmth, tenderness, happiness or a settled kind of security.
Feelings underneath
Needs
Saying it as a feeling
‘I feel cherished.’
When I found that you had kept every letter I wrote you from university in a box by your bed, I felt tender and warm, because I need love and to matter.