The Red Sox’ 2004 title was a shared experience, yes. But it was a deeply personal one, too.

October marks 20 years since the Red Sox broke the curse and won the 2004 World Series. Read more of our coverage at Globe.com/sox2004.

The Red Sox’ 2004 World Series championship had — and 20 years later, still and forever has — enduring meaning in so many ways.

It was about faith, kept and rewarded. It was about redemption, catharsis, and the ultimate fulfillment of fandom. It was about trusting that just the right mix of players — extraordinarily talented, necessarily goofy, and willing to battle history with everything they had even when doubts lingered like ancient ghosts — would eventually unite and deliver.