Readings
Sarah H. L. Gould - Fidelity
James Rampy - Marriage Message
Gunthor, the duck shepherd - The Final Countdown
Fidelity
by D.H. Lawrence
Man and woman are like the earth, that brings forth flowers
in summer, and love, but underneath is rock.
Older than flowers, older than ferns, older than foraminiferae,
older than plasm altogether is the soul underneath.
And when, throughout all the wild chaos of love
slowly a gem forms, in the ancient, once-more-molten rocks
of two human hearts, two ancient rocks,
a man's heart and a woman's,
that is the crystal of peace, the slow hard jewel of trust,
the sapphire of fidelity.
The gem of mutual peace emerging from the wild chaos of love.
Marriage Message
by Jennifer Maneggia
May your marriage bring you all the excitement
a marriage should bring,
and may life grant you patience, tolerance and understanding.
May you always need one another -
not so much to fill your emptiness as to help you know your fullness.
A mountain needs a valley to be complete;
the valley does not make the mountains less but more;
and the valley is more a valley because it has a mountain towering over it.
So let it be with you Shari and you Steve.
May you need one another; but not out of weakness.
May you want one another; but not out of lack.
May you entice one another, but not compel one another.
May you succeed in all important ways with one another,
but not fail in the little graces.
May you look for things to praise, often say, "I Love You!"
and take no notice of small faults.
If you have quarrels that push you apart,
may both of you have good sense enough to take the first step back.
May you enter into the mystery which is the awareness of
one another's presence -
warm and near when you are side by side,
... warm and near when you are in separate rooms or even in distant cities.
May you have happiness, and may you find it making one another happy.
May you have love, and may you find it loving one another.
The Final Countdown
Anon.
Hear ye, hear ye! Noble men and fair ladies of pride!
This is the day the Warrior Zeus takes his bride!
Having trekked the world over in pursuit of his queen,
the long-awaited day arrives to fulfil their dreams.
On distant shores, Zeus searched high and low,
Until he found "Xena of the Forest", as legend would go.
She was a fair lady, who fought with a pen writing many a word,
For, as they say, the pen is mightier than the sword.
Now their love's as solid as a knight's armor, yet as tender as a duck's feathers.
(And take it from me, I know ducks!)
Their bond's as strong as a gladiator's swing, defending against whatever life may bring.
Where one goes, the other will follow, mirroring a flock of ducks in flight,
Destined to be together, that kind of commitment will band them together, forever.
Hear ye, hear ye! Noble men and fair ladies of pride!
This is the day the Warrior Zeus takes his bride!
Today, Zeus takes his bride, and their life begins as one.
So, we join them in their wedding celebration, with a day of festivities yet to come.
A Walled Garden
Anon.
'Your Marriage', he said, 'should have within it, a secret
and protected place, open to you alone. Imagine it to be a
walled garden, entered by a door to which you only hold
the key. Within this garden you will cease to be a mother,
father, employee, homemaker or any other of the roles
which you fulfil in daily life. Here you are yourselves two
people who love each other. Here you can concentrate on
one another's needs'. So Shari, take Steve's hand and go back
to your garden. The time you spend together is not wasted
but invested. Invested in your future and the nurture of your
love.
Two Worlds
Anon.
Two worlds stand, parted by the sea.
On each shoreline, the other's destiny awaits.
With the precision of time, their paths fatefully meet.
Two worlds collide, uniting two of a kind.
So many boundaries ahead, they pursue to conquer.
With love as their compass, it guides their hearts and minds.
Two worlds meet on one shoreline.
They wait patiently, surrendering to the hands that control their future.
So many obstacles remain; two hearts race against time.
Two worlds no ocean can separate.
They wait day by day, longing for a lifetime together.
They await the verdict, carried by fate.
Two worlds unite today, no ocean can divide.
With a common beat, they searched the world to find.
Today with their family and friends; they join on one side.
From: The Native American Tradition
- from a Navajo Wedding Ceremony
taken from 'Words of Power'; Voices from Indian America
Now you have lit a fire and that fire should not go out.
The two of you now have a fire that represents love, understanding and a philosophy of life.
It will give you heat, food, warmth and happiness.
The new fire represents a new beginning - a new life and a new family.
The fire should keep burning; you should stay together.
You have lit the fire for life, until old age separates you.
Last updated: June 17, 2005