| You can select poetry, classical vignettes, Biblical readings, song lyrics, or create your own readings. The selections you choose can reflect your spiritual beliefs, describe what is important to you in your relationship, convey your hopes and dreams for your marriage, provide a connection to deceased family member, or just talk about Love. It is a nice way to include friends and family in your ceremony, but the selections can also be read by the minister. Some samples may be found below.
Corinthians 13:4-8
Love is patient and kind; love is not jealous or boastful; it is not arrogant or rude. Love does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrong, but rejoices in the right. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never ends.
an excerpt from Captain Corelli’s Mandolin written by Louis de Bernieres. Love is a temporary madness; it erupts like volcanoes and then subsides. and when it subsides you have to make a decision.
You have to work out whether your roots have been so entwined together that it is inconceivable that you should ever part.
Because this is what love is.
Love is not breathlessness, it is not excitement, it is not the promulgation of eternal passion.
That is just being in love, which any fool can do.
Love itself is what is left over when being in love has burned away, and this is both an art and a fortunate accident.
Those who truly love have roots that grow towards each other underground, and when all the pretty blossoms have fallen from their branches, they find that they are one tree and not two.
______________________________________ excerpt from The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho
"At that moment, it seemed to him
that time stood still and the Soul of the World surged within him...He learned
the most important part of the language that all the world spoke- the language
that everyone on earth was capable of understanding in their heart. It was
love. Something older that humanity, more ancient than the desert. Something
that exerted the same force whenever two pairs of eyes met....It was the pure
Language of the World. It required no explanation, just as the universe needs
none as it travels through endless time. What the boy felt at that moment was
that he was in the presence of the only woman in his life, and that, with no
need for words, she recognized the same thing. He was more certain of it than
of anything in the world. He had been told by his parents and grandparents that
he must fall in love and really know a person before becoming committed. But
maybe people who felt that way had never learned the universal language.
Because, when you know that language, it's easy to understand that someone in
the world awaits you, whether it's in the middle of the desert or in some great
city. And when two such people encounter each other and their eyes meet, the
past and future become unimportant. There is only that moment, and the
incredible certainty that everything under the sun has been written by one hand
only. It is the hand that evokes love, and creates a twin soul for every person
in the world. Without such love, one's dreams would have no meaning.
“Marriage Is…”By Anon, 1st
century China
“Marriage is a dynamic
process of discovery
Marriage is a journey,
not an arrival.
In marriage, being the
right person is as important
As finding the right
person
Marriage is starting to
love, over and over again.
Marriage is a life’s
work.
Marriage is an art…and
like any creative process,
It requires active thought
and effort.
We have to learn how to
share on many different levels.
We need to practice
talking from the heart.
And understanding
attitudes as well as words.
Giving generously and
receiving graciously
Are talents that are available
to anyone.
But all these skills
need to be developed,
If the marriage picture
that we paint is to be anything
Approaching the
masterpiece intended.
Unknown title - Regina Hill
When two people join together
and bond their lives forever
because they are certain they have something special
that will make their commitment last…
this is the first act of faith. Upon this act of faith these two people
will build a life.
and as long as their determination stays with them
this life will always be their hope, their dreams, their truth, their
being, their inspiration,
and their source of strength.
Through their life together, they will hurt and laugh.
Together they will feel all of life’s up and downs.
They will learn and grow through trial and error.
The lessons will show them the meaning of true love
And the difference between a love that lasts
and one that just gives up.
These two people will face each failure together and
discover the strength to go on.
They will encourage each other’s dreams and forgive each other’s faults.
Through a labour of love.
these two will become as one,
fighting against the odds and ultimately creating
a commitment that will grow into an infinite love.
The Notebook
The best love is the kind that awakens the soul, and makes us reach for more, that plants a fire in our hearts and brings peace to our minds. And that’s what you’ve given me. That’s what I hope to give to you forever."
The Notebook
Poets often describe love as an emotion that we can’t control, one
that overwhelms logic and common sense. That’s what it’s like for me. I
didn’t plan on falling in love with you, and I doubt that you planned
on falling in love with me. But once we met, it was clear that neither
of us could control what was happening to us. We fell in love, despite
our differences, and once we did, something rare and beautiful was
created. For me love like that has happened only once, and that’s why
every minute we spent together has been seared in my memory. I’ll never
forget a single moment of it.
A Night on the Beach by William Thomas Kinsey
Once upon a moonlit night
we walked a lonely beach.
Stars twinkled high above
they seemed close enough to reach. Arm in arm the mood was set,
gulls rested here and there.
We chatted for a little while
our talk was light as air. This moment would be priceless,
it would last throughout the years.
A quick exchange of, "I love you"s
washed away our hidden fears. Water rippled in the moonlight,
soft sand beneath our feet.
What a time to hear, and so sincere,
an, "I love you," so sweet Two lovers in the night
hand in hand they stroll the beach.
Gazing up to see the stars
almost close enough to reach.
Canticle of the Creatures-St Francis All praise be yours, My Lord,
through all that you have made.
And first my lord Brother Sun, who brings the day....
How beautiful is he, how radiant in all his splendor!
Of you, Most High, he bears the likeness.
All praise be yours, my Lord, through Sister Moon and Stars;
In the heavens you have made them, bright and precious and fair.
All praise be yours, my Lord, through Brothers Wind and Air....
All praise be yours, my Lord, through Sister Water,
So useful, lowly, precious and pure.
All praise be yours, my Lord, through Brother Fire,
through whom you brighten up the night....
All praise be yours, my Lord, through Sister Earth, our mother,
Who feeds us...and produces various fruits
With colored flowers and herbs....
Praise and bless my Lord, and give him thanks,
And serve him with great humility.
—St. Francis of Assisi: Writings and Early Biographies,
edited by Marion A. Habig, ©1973 by Franciscan Herald Press
by Yevgeny Yevtushenko
No, I'll not take the half of anything!
Give me the whole sky! The far-flung earth!
Seas and rivers and mountain avalanches -
All these are mine! I'll accept no less!
No, life, you cannot woo me with a part.
Let it be all or nothing! I can shoulder that!
I don't want happiness by halves.
Nor is half of sorrow what I want.
Yet there's a pillow I would share,
Where gently pressed against a cheek,
Like a helpless star, a falling star,
A ring glimmers on a finger of your hand.
Scottish Blessing
Deep peace of the
running waves to you
Deep peace of the flowing air to you,
Deep
peace of the quiet earth to you
Deep peace of the shining stars to
you,
Deep peace of the Son of Peace to you
Scottish Blessing
Deep peace I
breathe into you
Oh weariness here, O ache, here!
Deep peace, a
soft white dove to you;
Deep peace, a quiet rain to you;
Deep
peace, an ebbing wave to you!
Deep peace, red wind of the east from
you;
Deep peace, gray wind of the west to you;
Deep peace, dark
wind of the north from you;
Deep peace, blue wind of the south to
you!
Deep peace, pure red of the flame to you;
Deep peace, pure
white of the moon to you;
Deep peace, pure green of the grass to
you;
Deep peace, pure brown of the living earth to you;
Deep
peace, pure gray of the dew to you;
Deep peace, pure blue of the sky
to you!
Deep peace of the running wave to you,
Deep peace of
the flowing air to you,
Deep peace of the quiet Earth to you,
Deep
peace of the sleeping stones to you,
Deep peace of the yellow
shepherd to you,
Deep peace of the wandering shepherdess to you,
Deep
peace of the Flock of Stars to You.
Deep Peace of the Son of Peace
to You.
Deep peace, Deep Peace.
Celtic blessing
May
you both be blessed with the strength of heaven,
The
light of the sun and the radiance of the moon,
The
splendor of fire,
The
speed of lightning,
The
swiftness of wind,
The
depth of the sea,
The
stability of earth, And the firmness of rock
Prayer of St Francis Lord, make me an instrument of your peace,
Where there is hatred, let me sow love;
where there is injury, pardon;
where there is doubt, faith;
where there is despair, hope;
where there is darkness, light;
where there is sadness, joy;
O Divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek to be consoled as to console;
to be understood as to understand;
to be loved as to love.
For it is in giving that we receive;
it is in pardoning that we are pardoned;
and it is in dying that we are born to eternal life.
From Plato's Symposium
Humans have never understood the power of Love, for if they had they would surely have built noble temples and altars and offered solemn sacrifices; but this is not done, and most certainly ought to be done, since Love is our best friend, our helper, and the healer of the ills which prevent us from being happy.
To understand the power of Love, we must understand that our original human nature was not like it is now, but different. Human beings each had two sets of arms, two sets of legs, and two faces looking in opposite directions. There were three sexes then: one comprised of two men called the children of the Sun, one made of two women called the children of the Earth, and a third made of a man and a woman, called the children of the Moon. Due to the power and might of these original humans, the Gods began to fear that their reign might be threatened. They sought for a way to end the humans’ insolence without destroying them.
It was at this point that Zeus divided the humans in half. After the division the two parts of each desiring their other half, came together, and throwing their arms about one another, entwined in mutual embraces, longing to grow into one. So ancient is the desire of one another which is implanted in us, reuniting our original nature, making one of two, and healing the state of humankind.
Each of us when separated, having one side only, is but the indenture of a person, and we are always looking for our other half. Those whose original nature lies with the children of the Sun are men who are drawn to other men, those from the children of the Earth are women who love other women, and those from the children of the Moon are men and women drawn to one another. And when one of us meets our other half, we are lost in an amazement of love and friendship and intimacy, and would not be out of the other’s sight even for a moment. We pass our whole lives together, desiring that we should be melted into one, to spend our lives as one person instead of two, and so that after our death there will be one departed soul instead of two; this is the very expression of our ancient need. And the reason is that human nature was originally one and we were a whole, and the desire and pursuit of the whole is called Love.
Apache Blessings-short version
This Native American Blessing will send you on your way:
Now you will feel no rain, for each will be shelter for the other.
Now you will feel no cold, for each will be warmth for the other.
Now there is no more loneliness.
Now you are two persons, but there is only one life before you.
Go now to your dwelling place to enter the days of your life together,
And may your days be good and long upon this earth
______________________________________ Apache Blessing-long version Now you will feel no rain, for each of you will be the shelter for each other. Now you will feel no cold, for each of you will be the warmth for the other. Now you are two persons, but there is only one life before. Go now to your dwelling place to enter into the days of your life together. And may your days be good and long upon the earth. Treat yourselves and each other with respect, and remind yourselves often of what brought you together. Give the highest priority to the tenderness, gentleness and kindness that your connection deserves. When frustration, difficulty and fear assail your relationship - as they threaten all relationships at one time or another - remember to focus on what is right between you, not only the part which seems wrong. In this way, you can ride out the storms when clouds hide the face of the sun in your lives - remembering that even if you lose sight of it for a moment, the sun is still there. And if each of you takes responsibility for the quality of your life together, it will be marked by abundance and delight.
A Celtic Wedding Pledge by Morgan Llywelwn
You cannot possess me for I belong to myself,
But while we both wish it,
I give you that which is mine to give.
You cannot command me for I am a free person,
But I shall serve you in those ways you require.
And the honeycomb will taste sweeter coming from my hand.
I pledge to you that yours will be the name I cry aloud in the night,
And the eyes into which I smile in the morning.
I pledge to you the first bite from my meat,
And the first drink from my cup.
I pledge to you my living and dying, equally in your care.
And tell no strangers our grievances.
This is my wedding vow to you,
This is a marriage of equals.
Marriage is a vital social institution. The exclusive commitment of two individuals to each other nurtures love and mutual support; it brings stability to our society. For those who choose to marry, and for their children, marriage provides an abundance of legal, financial, and social benefits. In return it imposes weighty legal, financial, and social obligations….Without question, civil marriage enhances the “welfare of the community.” It is a “social institution of the highest importance.” ... Marriage also bestows enormous private and social advantages on those who choose to marry. Civil marriage is at once a deeply personal commitment to another human being and a highly public celebration of the ideals of mutuality, companionship, intimacy, fidelity, and family…. Because it fulfils yearnings for security, safe haven, and connection that express our common humanity, civil marriage is an esteemed institution, and the decision whether and whom to marry is among life’s momentous acts of self-definition. From “Goodridge Vs. Department of Health” – Massachusetts Supreme Court Chief Justice Margaret H. Marshall
an
excerpt from The Little
Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry
The fox said to the Little Prince:
"for me you're only a little boy just like a hundred thousand other little
boys. And I have no need of you. And you have no need of me,
either. For you I'm only a fox like a hundred thousand other foxes. But
if you tame me, we'll need each other. You'll be the only boy in the
world for me. I'll be the only fox in the world for you... My life
is monotonous. I hunt chickens; people hunt me. All chickens are
just alike, and all men are just alike. So I'm rather bored. But if
you tame me, my life will be filled with sunshine. I'll know the sound of
footsteps that will be different from all the rest. Other footsteps send
me back underground. Yours will call me out of my burrow like
music. And then, look! You see the wheat fields over there? I
don't eat bread. For me wheat is of no use whatever. Wheat fields
say nothing to me. Which is sad. But you have hair the color of
gold. So it will be wonderful, once you've tamed me! The wheat,
which is golden, will remind me of you. And I'll love the sound of the
wind in the wheat..."
Song of Solomon 2
Listen! My lover! Look! Here he comes, leaping across the mountains, bounding over the hills. My lover is like a gazelle or a young stag. Look! There he stands behind our wall, gazing through the windows, peering through the lattice. My lover spoke and said to me, "Arise, my darling, my beautiful one, and come with me. See! The winter is past; the rains are over and gone. Flowers appear on the earth; the season of singing has come, the cooing of doves is heard in our land.
The fig tree forms its early fruit; the blossoming vines spread their fragrance. Arise, come, my darling; my beautiful one, come with me." My dove in the clefts of the rock, in the hiding places on the mountainside, show me your face, let me hear your voice; for your voice is sweet, and your face is lovely.
My lover is mine and I am his; he browses among the lilies.
___________________________________________
Excerpt from Jonathan Livingston Seagull by Richard Bach Jonathan was dazzled. He forgot to ask about heaven. "How do you do that? What does it feel like? How far can you go?"
"You can go to any place and to any time that you wish to go," the Elder said. "I've gone everywhere and everywhen I can think of." He looked across the sea. "It's strange. The gulls who scorn perfection for the sake of travel go nowhere, slowly. Those who put aside travel for the sake of
perfection go anywhere, instantly. Remember, Jonathan, heaven isn't a place or a time, because place and time are so very meaningless. Heaven is..."
"Can you teach me to fly like that?" Jonathan Seagull trembled to conquer another unknown.
"Of course if you wish to learn."
"I wish. When can we start?".
"We could start now if you'd like."
"I want to learn to fly like that," Jonathan said and a strange light glowed in his eyes. "Tell me what to do,"
Chiang spoke slowly and watched the younger gull ever so carefully.
"To fly as fast as thought, to anywhere that is," he said, "you must begin by knowing that you have already arrived ..."
Ecclesiastes - Chapter 4
Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their work. If one falls down, his friend can help him up. But pity the man who falls and has no-one to help him up!. Also, if two lie down together, they will keep warm. But how can one keep warm alone?. Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken.
The Key to Love, Author Unknown
The key to love is understanding ...
as it is the little things that say so much by themselves.
The key to love is forgiveness ....
to accept each others faults and pardon mistakes,
The key to love is sharing ...
Sharing and facing your good fortunes as well as the bad, together;
both conquering problems, forever searching for ways
to intensify your happiness.
The key to love is giving ...
Giving without thought of return,
but with the hope of just a simple smile,
and by giving in but never giving up.
The key to love is respect ...
Respect realizing that you are two separate people, with different ideas;
that you don't belong to each other,
that you belong with each other, and share a mutual bond.
The key to love is inside us all ...
It takes time and patience to unlock all the ingredients
that will take you to its threshold;
it is the continual learning process that demands a lot of work ...
but the rewards are more than worth the effort ...
and that is the key to love.
_____________________________________
Romans - Chapter 12
Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. Be devoted to one another brotherly love. Honor one another above yourselves. Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord. Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.
_______________________________________
Aztec Indian Wedding Poem
I know not whether thou has been absent:
I lie down with thee, I rise up with thee,
In my dreams thou art with me.
If my eardrops tremble in my ears,
I know it is thou moving within my heart.
__________________________________________
Solomon's Song - Chapter 2
My lover spoke and said to me, "Arise my darling, my beautiful one, and come with me. See! The winter is past; the rains are over and gone. Flowers appear on the earth; the season of singing has come. the cooing of doves is heard in our land.. The fig-tree forms its early fruit; the blossoming vines spread their fragrance. Arise, come, my darling; my beautiful one, come with me."
An excerpt from " The Two Towers : Being the Second Part of The Lord of the Rings" by J.R.R. Tolkien
ENT: When Spring unfolds the beechen leaf, and sap is in the bough;
When light is on the wild-wood stream, and wind is on the brow;
When stride is long, and breath is deep, and keen the mountain-air,
Come back to me! Come back to me, and say my land is fair!
ENTWIFE.: When Spring is come to garth and field, and corn is in the blade;
When blossom like a shining snow is on the orchard laid;
When shower and Sun upon the Earth with fragrance fill the air,
I*ll linger here, and will not come, because my land is fair.
ENT.: When Summer lies upon the world, and in a noon of gold
Beneath the roof of sleeping leaves the dreams of trees unfold;
When woodland halls are green and cool, and wind is in the West,
Come back to me! Come back to me, and say my land is best!
ENTWIFE. : When Summer warms the hanging fruit and burns the berry brown;
When straw is gold, and ear is white, and harvest comes to town;
When honey spills, and apple swells, though wind be in the West,
I*ll linger here beneath the Sun, because my land is best!
ENT.: When Winter comes, the winter wild that hill and wood shall slay;
When trees shall fall and starless night devour the sunless day;
When wind is in the deadly East, then in the bitter rain
I*ll look for thee, and call to thee; I*ll come to thee again!
ENTWIFE : When Winter comes, and singing ends; when darkness falls at last;
When broken is the barren bough, and light and labour past;
I*ll look for thee, and wait for thee, until we meet again:
Together we will tkae the road beneath the bitter rain!
BOTH : Together we will take the road that leads into the West,
And far away will find a land where both our hearts may rest.
Eternity
I'm looking out my window
Watch the clouds go by
I look to see eternity
The endless rolling sky
You cannot think of eternity
Think of it like time
You try to think, you try to count
You just mess up your mind
Eternity, eternity
I love you, you love me
Let's love each other through eternity
Since before man could see
There was eternity
After man is come and gone
Eternity lingers on, eternity lingers on
Everything crawl, creep, or fly
Just live until they die
Eternity, eternity
I love you, you love me
Let's love each other through eternity
Through eternity
Well I think about life, we don't know
Whether it all could be in vain
Look through time, it's for sure
It's the greatest gift to man
Music and Love, you can't explain
Try and understand
The greatest thing could ever be
We make love through eternity
Eternity, eternity
When the world think our defeat
Think that we are gone
We'll still have our place in peace
Our love will linger on, linger on
We won't care just what who said
If it's truth or lie
We'll still have our greatest gift
Love won't ever die
Love won't ever die
Song
written by Willie Dixon and sung by the Grateful Dead.
St Mark - Chapter 10
"But at the beginning of creation God 'made them male and female'. For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife; And the two will become one flesh; so they are no longer two, but one. Therefore what God has joined together, let man not separate."
Druid's Blessing
We swear by peace and love to stand,
Heart to heart and hand to hand.
Hark, O Spirit, and hear us now,
Confirming this our Sacred Vow.
What is Love?
by Susan Polis Schutz
Love
Love is the strongest feeling known
an all -encompassing passion
an extreme strength
an overwhelming excitement Love is trying not to hurt the other person
trying not to change the other person
trying not to dominate the other person
trying not to deceive the other person Love is understanding each other
listening to each other
supporting each other
having fun with each other. Love is not an excuse to stop growing
not an excuse to stop making yourself better
not an excuse to lessen one's goals
not an excuse to take the other person for granted Love is being completely honest with each other
finding dreams to share
working towards common goals
sharing responsibilities equally Everyone in the world wants to love
Love is not a feeling to be taken lightly
Love is a feeling to be cherished, nurtured and cared for
Love is the reason for life
A Love Like This by Dan Fogleberg
And now the lonely days are done
And with each rising of the sun, love begins anew
And if you ever ask me why
I know that my love will never die I'll say these words to you
Of all the souls I've ever known
Mine sings to yours and yours alone and yours sings just to me
In all this world I'll never find
A heart that could beat as close to mine and this time I can see
A love like this is so hard to find
And so many never do
And loves like this, when they even exist
Are precious and few, you know they're precious and few
Down the miles, through the years
Yours is the star by which I steer, the brightest star I've known
And when I feel all hope is gone, yours is the love that leads me on
The light that guides me home
The light that guides me home
Your light will guide me home
_______________________________________
From "Gift From The Sea" by Anne Morrow Lindbergh
When you love someone, you do not love them all the time, in exactly the same way, from moment to moment. It is an impossibility. It is even a lie to pretend to. And yet this is exactly what most of us demand. We have so little faith in the ebb and flow of life, of love, of relationships. We leap at the flow of the tide and resist in terror its ebb. We are afraid it will never return. We insist on permanency, on duration, on continuity; when the only continuity possible, in life as in love, is in growth, in fluidity - in freedom, in the sense that the dancers are free, barely touching as they pass, but partners in the same pattern.
The only real security is not in owning or possessing, not in demanding or expecting, not in hoping, even. Security in a relationship lies neither in looking back to what was in nostalgia, nor forward to what it might be in dread or anticipation, but living in the present relationship and accepting it as it is now. Relationships must be like islands, one must accept them for what they are here and now, within their limits - islands, surrounded and interrupted by the sea, and continually visited and abandoned by the tides.
_______________________________________
Excerpt from I Love You Carl Sandburg
I love you. I love you for what you are,
but I love you yet more for what you are going to be.
I love you not so much for your realities as for your ideals.
I pray for your desires, that they may be great,
rather than for your satisfactions,
which may be so hazardously little.
A satisfied flower is one whose petals are about to fall.
But the most beautiful rose is one,
hardly more than a bud,
wherein the pangs and ecstasies of desire are working for larger and finer growth.
Not always shall you be what you are now.
You are going forward toward something great.
________________________________________
Ogden Nash (1902-1971)
Geniuses of countless nations
Have told their love for generations
Till all their memorable phrases
Are common as goldenrod or daisies.
Their girls have glimmered like the moon,
Or shimmered like a summer moon,
Stood like a lily, fled like a fawn,
Now the sunset, now the dawn,
Here the princess in the tower
There the sweet forbidden flower.
Darling, when I look at you
Every aged phrase is new,
And there are moments when it seems
I've married one of Shakespeare's dreams.
___________________________________________
Old Irish Blessings
May the raindrops fall lightly on your brow
May the soft winds freshen your spirit
May the sunshine brighten your heart
May the burdens of the day rest lightly upon you
And may God enfold you in the mantle of His love.
May the road rise to meet you
May the wind be always at your back
May the sun shine warm upon your face
and the rain fall soft upon your fields
And until we meet again my friend
May God hold you in the hollow (palm) of his hand
May God be with you and bless you
May you see your children's children
May you be poor in misfortunes and rich in Blessings
May you know nothing but happiness
from this day forward
But rich or poor, quick or slow,
May you know nothing but happiness
From this day forward.
May the joys of today
Be those of tomorrow.
________________________________________
The Colour of My Love, David Foster and Arthur Janov
I'll paint a sun to warm your heart
Knowing that we'll never part.
I'll draw the years all passing by
So much to learn, so much to try.
I'll paint my mood in a shadow blue,
Paint my soul to be with you.
I'll sketch your lips in shaded tones,
Draw your mouth to my own.
I'll trace a hand to wipe your tears
And trace a look to calm your fears.
A silhouette of dark and light
To hold each other oh so tight.
I'll paint the stars in the evening sky,
Draw the light into your eyes,
A touch of love, a touch of grace,
To softly fall on your moonlit face.
And with this ring our lives will start,
Let nothing keep our love apart.
I'll take your hand to hold in mine,
And be together through all time.
________________________________________
Sonnet 116 by William Shakespeare
Let me not to the marriage of true minds
admit impediments. Love is not love
which alters when it alteration finds,
or bends with the remover to remove:
Oh, no! It is an ever-fix'd mark.
That looks on tempests and is never shaken;
it is the star to every wandering bark,
whose worth's unknown, although his height be taken.
Love's not Time's fool, though rosy lips and cheeks
within his bending sickle's compass come;
love alters not with his brief hours and weeks,
but bears it out even to the edge of doom.
If this be error and upon me prov'd,
I never writ, nor no man ever lov'd.
____________________________________
Touch the Air Softly by William Jay Smith
Now touch the air softly, step gently, one, two ...
I'll love you 'til roses are robin's egg blue;
I'll love you 'til gravel is eaten for bread,
And lemons are orange, and lavender's red.
Now touch the air softly, swing gently the broom.
I'll love you 'til windows are all of a room;
And the table is laid, And the table is bare,
And the ceiling reposes on bottomless air.
I'll love you 'til heaven rips the stars from his coat,
And the moon rows away in a glass-bottomed boat;
And Orion steps down like a river below,
And earth is ablaze, and oceans aglow.
So touch the air softly, and swing the broom high.
We will dust the grey mountains, and sweep the blue sky:
And I'll love you as long as the furrow the plough,
As however is ever, and ever is now.
____________________________________
Traditional Irish Blessing of the Bride and Groom
I wish healing upon you
The healing of Mary with me,
Mary, Michael and Brighid
Be with me all three.
Fly with the birds of the air
Fly with the wasps of the hill
Swim with the sea-going whale
For they are swiftest
Be upon the clouds of the sky
For they are the rainiest
Be upon the river's current
Cascading to the sea
______________________________________
Love's Coming by John Shaw Neilson Love's Coming
Quietly as rosebuds
Talk to the thin air,
Love came so lightly,
I knew not he was there.
Quietly as lovers
Creep at the middle moon,
Softly as players tremble
in the tears of a tune;
Quietly as lilies
Their faint vows declare
Came the shy pilgrim:
I knew not he was there.
Quietly as tears fall
On a warm sin,
Softly as griefs call
In a violin;
Without hail or tempest,
Blue sword of flame.
Love came so lightly
I knew not that he came.
_____________________________________
Oath of Friendship -- Anon., China, 1st Century B.C.
I want to be your friend
For ever and ever without break or decay.
When the hills are all flat
And the rivers are all dry,
When it lightens and thunders in winter,
When it rains and snows in summer,
When Heaven and Earth mingle
Not 'til then will I part from you.
________________________________________
What is Love? by Walter Rinder
Love is just not looking at each other and saying "You're wonderful".
There are times when we are anything but wonderful.
Love is looking out in the same direction.
It is linking our strength to pull a common load.
It is pushing together towards the far horizons, hand in hand.
Love is knowing that when our strength falters, we can borrow the strength of someone who cares.
Love is a strange awareness that our sorrows will be shared and made lighter by sharing;
that joys will be enriched and multiplied by the joy of another.
Love is knowing someone else cares that we are not alone in life.
___________________________________
Irish Wedding Blessing
May your mornings bring joy and your evenings bring peace.
May your troubles grow few as your blessings increase.
May the saddest day of your future
Be no worse than the happiest day of your past.
May your hands be forever clasped in friendship
And your hearts joined forever in love.
Your lives are very special,
God has touched you in many ways.
May his blessings rest upon you
And fill all your coming days.
____________________________________
The Passionate Shepherd to His Love by Christopher Marlowe
Come live with me and be my love,
And we will all the pleasures prove
That valleys, groves, hills, and fields,
Woods or steepy mountain yields.
And we will sit upon the rocks,
Seeing the shepherds feed their flocks,
By shallow rivers to whose falls
Melodious birds sing madrigals.
And I will make thee beds of roses
And a thousand fragrant posies,
A cap of flowers, and a kirtle
Embroidered all with leaves of myrtle;
A gown made of the finest wool
Which from our pretty lambs we pull;
Fair lined slippers for the cold,
With buckles of the purest gold;
A belt of straw and ivy buds,
With coral clasps and amber studs:
And if these pleasures may thee move,
Come live with me and be my love.
The shepherds' swains shall dance and sing
For thy delight each May morning:
If these delights thy mind may move,
Then live with me and be my love.
Touch the Air Softly by William Jay Smith
Now touch the air softly, step gently, one, two ...
I'll love you 'til roses are robin's egg blue;
I'll love you 'til gravel is eaten for bread,
And lemons are orange, and lavender's red. Now touch the air softly, swing gently the broom.
I'll love you 'til windows are all of a room;
And the table is laid, And the table is bare,
And the ceiling reposes on bottomless air. I'll love you 'til heaven rips the stars from his coat,
And the moon rows away in a glass-bottomed boat;
And Orion steps down like a river below,
And earth is ablaze, and oceans aglow. So touch the air softly, and swing the broom high.
We will dust the grey mountains, and sweep the blue sky:
And I'll love you as long as the furrow the plough,
As however is ever, and ever is now.
"Marriage Is. . ." by Edmund O'Neill
Marriage is a commitment to life - to the best that two people can find and bring out in each
other. It offers opportunities for sharing and growth no other human relationship can equal, a
physical and emotional joining that is promised for a lifetime. Within the circle of its love,
marriage encompasses all of life's most important relationships. A wife and a husband are each other's best friend, confidant, lover, teacher, listener, and critic.
There may come times when one partner is heartbroken or ailing, and the love of the other may
resemble the tender caring of a parent for a child. Marriage deepens and enriches every facet of life. Happiness is fuller; memories are fresher; commitment is stronger; even anger is felt more strongly, and passes away more quickly.
Marriage understands and forgives the mistakes life is unable to avoid. It encourages and
nurtures new life, new experiences, and new ways of expressing love through the seasons of life. When two people pledge to love and care for each other in marriage, they create a spirit unique to themselves, which binds them closer than any spoken or written words. Marriage is a promise, a potential, made in the hearts of two people who love, which takes a lifetime to fulfill.
_____________________________________ How do I love thee? by Elizabeth Barrett Browning How do I love thee? Let me count the ways. I love thee to the depth and breadth and height My soul can reach, when feeling out of sight For the ends of Being an Ideal Grace. I love thee to the level of every day's Most quiet need, by sun and candle-light. I love thee freely, as men strive for Right; I love thee purely, as they turn from Praise. I love thee with the passion put to use In my old grief's, and with my childhood's faith. I love thee with a love I seemed to lose With my lost saints,--I love thee with the breath, Smiles, tears, of all my life!--and, if God choose, I shall but love thee better after death. __________________________________________ Sonnet 18 by William Shakespeare Shall I compare thee to a summer's day? Thou art more lovely and more temperate: Rough winds do shake the darling buds of May, And summer's lease hath all too short a date: Sometime too hot the eye of heaven shines, And often is his gold complexion dimm'd; And every fair from fair sometime declines, By chance or nature's changing course untrimm'd; But thy eternal summer shall not fade Nor lose possession of that fair thou owest; Nor shall Death brag thou wander'st in his shade, When in eternal lines to time thou growest: So long as men can breathe or eyes can see, So long lives this and this gives life to thee. _______________________________________ The Art of a Good Marriage by Wilferd Arlan Peterson Happiness in marriage is not something that just happens. A good marriage must be created. In marriage the little things are the big things. It is never being too old to hold hands. It is remembering to say "I love you" at least once a day. It is never going to sleep angry. It is at no time taking the other for granted; the courtship should not end with the honeymoon, it should continue through the years. It is having a mutual sense of values and common objectives. It is standing together facing the world. It is forming a circle of love that gathers the whole family. It is doing things for each other, not in the attitude of duty or sacrifice, but in the spirit of joy. It is speaking words of appreciation and demonstrating gratitude in thoughtful ways. It is not looking for perfection in each other. It is cultivating flexibility, patience, understanding and a sense of humour. It is having the capacity to forgive and forget. It is giving each other an atmosphere in which each can grow old. It is a common search for the good and the beautiful. It is establishing a relationship in which the independence is equal, dependence is mutual and the obligation is reciprocal. It is not only marrying the right partner; it is being the right partner.
Traditional Shoshone Indian Love Poem
Fair is the white star of twilight, and the sky clearer
at the day's end, but she is fairer, and she is dearer
She, my heart's friend.
Fair is the white star of twilight, and the moon roving
to the sky's end; but she is fairer, better worth loving
She, my heart's friend."
______________________________________
Cherokee Blessing
God in heaven above,
Please protect the ones we love.
We honor all that you created
As we pledge our hearts and lives together.
We honor Mother Earth --
And ask for our marriage to be abundant,
And to grow stronger through the seasons
We honor fire --
And ask that our union be warm and glowing with love in our hearts.
We honor wind --
And ask that we sail through life safely and calm as in our father's arms.
We honor water --
To clean and soothe our relationship that it may never thirst for love.
With all the forces of the universe you created,
We pray for harmony and true happiness
As we forever grow young together.
Eskimo Wedding Vow
You are my husband/wife
My feet shall run because of you.
My feet dance because of you.
My eyes see because of you.
My mind thinks because of you.
And I shall love because of you.
Excerpt from Hamlet by William Shakespeare
Doubt thou the stars are fire;
Doubt that the sun doth move;
Doubt truth to be a liar;
But never doubt I love.
From The Prophet by Kahil Gibran
Love has no other desire but to fulfill itself.
But if you love and must needs have desires, let these be your desires:
To melt and be like a running brook that sings its melody to the night.
To know the pain of too much tenderness.
To be wounded by your own understanding of love;
And to bleed willingly and joyfully.
To wake at dawn with a winged heart and give thanks for another day of loving;
To rest at the noon hour and meditate love's ecstasy;
To return home at eventide with gratitude;
And then to sleep with a prayer for the beloved in your heart and a song of praise on your lips.
Another excerpt from "The Prophet" by Khalil Gabran
You were born together, and together you shall be forevermore.
You shall be together when the white wings of death scatter your days.
Ay, you shall be together even in the silent memory of God.
But let there be spaces in your togetherness,
And let the winds of heavens dance between you.
Love one another, but make not a bond of love:
Let it rather be a moving sea between the shores of your souls.
Fill each other's cup but drink not from one cup.
Give one another of your bread but eat not from the same loaf.
Sing and dance together and be joyous, but let each one of you be alone,
Even as the strings of a lute are alone though they quiver with the same music.
Give your hearts, but not into each other's keeping.
For only the hand of Life can contain your hearts.
And stand together yet not too near together:
For the pillars of the temple stand apart,
And the oak tree and the cypress grow not in each other's shadow.
__________________________________
I Ching
When two people are at one
in their inmost hearts,
they shatter even the strength of iron or bronze.
And when two people understand each other
in their inmost hearts,
their words are sweet and strong,
like the fragrance of orchids.
______________________________________
The Invitation by Oriah Mountain Dreamer
It doesn't interest me what you do for a living.
I want to know what you ache for,
and if you dare to dream of meeting your heart's longing.
It doesn't interest me how old you are.
I want to know if you will risk looking like a fool for love,
for your dreams, for the adventure of being alive.
It doesn't interest me what planets are squaring your moon.
I want to know if you have touched the center of your own sorrow.
if you have been opened by life’s betrayals or
have become shriveled and closed from fear of further pain!
I want to know if you can sit with pain, mine or your own,
without moving to hide it or fade it or fix it.
I want to know if you can be with joy, mine or your own;
if you can dance with wildness and let the ecstasy fill you
to the tips of your fingers and toes without cautioning us to be careful,
be realistic, or to remember the limitations of being human.
It doesn't interest me if the story you are telling me is true,
I want to know if you can disappoint another to be true to yourself.
if you can bear the accusation of betrayal and not betray your own soul.
I want to know if you can be faithful and therefore trustworthy.
I want to know if you can see beauty, even when it is not pretty every day,
and if you can source your life from God's presence.
I want to know if you can live with failure, yours or mine,
and still stand on the edge of a lake and shout to the silver of the full moon, "YES!"
It doesn't interest me to know where you live or how much money you have.
I want to know if you can get up after a night of grief and despair,
weary and bruised to the bone, and do what needs to be done for the children.
It doesn't interest me who you are or how you came to be here.
I want to know if you will stand in the center of the fire with me and not shrink back.
It doesn't interest me where or what or with whom you have studied.
I want to know what sustains you from the inside when all else falls away.
I want to know if you can be alone with yourself,
and if you truly like the company you keep in the empty moments.
When You Love Someone by Anne Morrow Lindberg
When you love someone, you do not love them all the time, in exactly the same way, from moment to moment. It is an impossibility. It is even a lie to pretend to. And yet, this is exactly what most of us demand. We have so little faith in the ebb and flow of life, of love, of relationships. We leap at the flow of time and resist in terror its ebb. We are afraid it will never return. We insist on permanency, on duration, on continuity; when the only continuity possible in life, as in love, is in growth, in fluidity in freedom. The only real security is not owning or possessing, not in demanding or expecting, not in hoping, even. Security in a relationship lies neither in looking back to what it was, nor forward to what it might be, but living in the present and accepting it as it is now. For relationships, too must be like islands. One must accept them for what they are here and now, within their limits islands surrounded and interrupted by the sea, continuously visited and abandoned by the tides. Once must accept the serenity of the winged life, ebb and flow, of intermittency.
_____________________________________
Love Is by Susan Polis Schultz
Love Is
Being happy for the other person when they are happy,
Being sad for the person when they are sad,
Being together in good times
Love is the source of strength.
Love is
Being honest with yourself at all times,
Being honest with the other person at all times
Telling, listening, respecting the truth
And never pretending
Love is the source of reality
Love is
An understanding that is so complete that
You feel as if you were a part of the other person
Accepting the other person just the way they are
And not trying to change them to be something else
Love is the source of unity
Love is
The freedom to pursue your own desires
While sharing your own experiences with the other person
The growth of one individual alongside of
And together with the growth of another individual
Love is the source of success
Love is
The excitement of planning things together
The excitement of doing things together
Love is the source of the future
Love is
The fury of the storm
The calm in the rainbow
Love is the source of passion
Love is
Giving and taking in a daily situation
Being patient with each other’s needs and desires
Love is the source of sharing
Love is
Knowing that the other person will always be there with you
regardless of what happens
Missing the other person
when they are away
But remaining near in heart at all times
Love is the source of security
Love is when the worst thing that could happen to you is
something bad happening to the person that you love.
Love is The source of life
WHAT IS LOVE? Author Unknown
Sooner or later we begin to understand that love is more than verses on valentines and romance in the movies. We begin to know that love is here and now, real and true, the most important thing in our lives. For love is the creator of our favourite memories and the foundation of our fondest dreams. Love is a promise that is always kept, a fortune that can never be spent, a seed that can flourish in even the most unlikely of places. And this radiance that never fades, this mysterious and magical joy, is the greatest treasure of all - one known only by those who love.
WHAT OF MARRIAGE? From The Prophet by Kahlil Gilbran
Then Almitra spoke again and said, And what of Marriage master?
And he answered saying: You were born together, and together you shall be for evermore. You shall be together when the white wings of death scatter your days. Aye, you shall be together even in the silent memory of God. But let there be spaces in your togetherness. And let the winds of the heavens dance between you.
Love one another, but make not a bond of love: Let it rather be a moving sea between the shores of your souls. Fill each other's cup but drink not from one cup.
Give one another of your bread but eat not from the same loaf. Sing and dance together and be joyous, but let each one of you be alone, Even as the strings of a lute are alone though they quiver with the same music.
Give your hearts, but not into each other's keeping.
For only the hand of Life can contain your hearts.
And stand together yet not too near together:
For the pillars of the temple stand apart,
And the oak tree and the cypress grow not in each other's shadow.
Blessing For A Marriage by James Dillet Freeman
May your marriage bring you all the exquisite excitements a marriage should bring, and may life grant you also patience, tolerance, and understanding.
May you always need one another - not so much to fill your emptiness as to help you to know your fullness. A mountain needs a valley to be complete; the valley does not make the mountain less, but more; and the valley is more a valley because it has a mountain towering over it. So let it be with you and you.
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 embrace one another, but not out encircle one another.
May you succeed in all important ways with one another, and 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 hope to 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 - no more physical than spiritual, warm and near when you are side by side, and warm and near when you are in separate rooms or even 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!
Some Kiss We Want by Rumi
There is some kiss we want with
our whole lives, the touch of
spirit on the body. Seawater
begs the pearl to break its shell.
And the lily, how passionately
it needs some wild darling! At
night, I open the window and ask
the moon to come and press its
face against mine. Breathe into
me. Close the language- door and
open the love window. The moon
won't use the door, only the window.
UNTITLED by Author Unknown
You can give without loving,
but you can never love without giving.
The great acts of love are done by those
who are habitually performing small acts of kindness.
We pardon to the extent that we love.
Love is knowing that even when you are alone,
you will never be lonely again.
And great happiness of life is the conviction
that we are loved.
Loved for ourselves.
And even loved in spite of ourselves.
The Most Wonderful of All Things in Life by By Sir Hugh Walpole
The most wonderful of all things in life is the discovery of another human being with whom one's relationship has a growing depth, beauty and joy as the years increase. This inner progressiveness of love between two human beings is a most marvelous thing; it cannot be found by looking for it or by passionately wishing for it. It is a sort of divine accident, and the most wonderful of all things in life.
I Promise by Dorothy R. Colgan
I promise to give you the best of myself
and to ask of you no more than you can give.
I promise to respect you as your own person
and to realize that your interests, desires and needs
are no less important than my own.
I promise to share with you my time and my attention
and to bring joy, strength and imagination to our relationship.
I promise to keep myself open to you,
to let you see through the window of my world into my innermost fears
and feelings, secrets and dreams.
I promise to grow along with you,
to be willing to face changes in order to keep our relationship alive and exciting.
I promise to love you in good times and in bad,
with all I have to give and all I feel inside in the only way I know how.
Completely and forever.
Marriage Advice by Jane Wells (1886)
Let your love be stronger than your hate or anger.
Learn the wisdom of compromise, for it is better to bend a little than to break.
Believe the best rather than the worst.
People have a way of living up or down to your opinion of them.
Remember that true friendship is the basis for any lasting relationship.
The person you choose to marry is deserving of the courtesies
and kindnesses you bestow on your friends.
Please hand this down to your children and your children's children.
i carry your heart with me by e.e. cummings i carry your heart with me (i carry it in
my heart) i am never without it (anywhere
i go you go, my dear; and whatever is done
by only me is your doing, my darling) i fear no fate (for you are my fate, my sweet) i want
no world (for beautiful you are my world, my true)
and it's you are whatever a moon has always meant
and whatever a sun will always sing is you
here is the deepest secret nobody knows
(here is the root of the root and the bud of the bud
and the sky of the sky of a tree called life; which grows
higher than soul can hope or mind can hide)
and this is the wonder that's keeping the stars apart
i carry your heart (i carry it in my heart)
Love and Loving by Thomas Merton
Love is our true destiny. We do not find the meaning of life by ourselves alone – we find it in another. We do not discover the secret of our lives merely by study and calculation in our own isolated meditations. The meaning of our life is a secret that has to be revealed to us in love, by the one we love. And if this love is unreal, the secret will not be found, the meaning will never reveal itself, the message will never be decoded. At best, we will receive a scrambled and partial message, one that will deceive us and confuse us. We will never be fully real until we let ourselves fall in love – either with another human person or with God.
Why Marriage? by Mari Nichols-Haining
Because to the depths of me, I long to love one person,
With all my heart, my soul, my mind, my body...
Because I need a forever friend to trust with the intimacies of me,
Who won't hold them against me,
Who loves me when I'm unlikable,
Who sees the small child in me, and
Who looks for the divine potential of me...
Because I need to cuddle in the warmth of the night
With someone who thanks God for me,
With someone I feel blessed to hold...
Because marriage means opportunity
To grow in love in friendship...
Because marriage is a discipline
To be added to a list of achievements...
Because marriages do not fail, people fail
When they enter into marriage
Expecting another to make them whole...
Because, knowing this,
I promise myself to take full responsibility
For my spiritual, mental and physical wholeness
I create me,
I take half of the responsibility for my marriage
Together we create our marriage...
Because with this understanding
The possibilities are limitless.
Touched by an Angel by Maya Angelou We, unaccustomed to courage
exiles from delight
live coiled in shells of loneliness
until love leaves its high holy temple
and comes into our sight
to liberate us into life. Love arrives
and in its train come ecstasies
old memories of pleasure
ancient histories of pain.
Yet if we are bold,
love strikes away the chains of fear
from our souls We are weaned from our timidity
In the flush of love's light
we dare be brave
And suddenly we see
that love costs all we are
and will ever be.
Yet it is only love
which sets us free
On Love by Thomas à Kempis (1379-1471)
Love is a mighty power, a great and complete good.
Love alone lightens every burden, and makes rough places smooth.
It bears every hardship as though it were nothing, and renders all bitterness sweet and acceptable.
Nothing is sweeter than love,
Nothing stronger,
Nothing higher,
Nothing wider,
Nothing more pleasant,
Nothing fuller or better in heaven or earth; for love is born of God.
Love flies, runs and leaps for joy.
It is free and unrestrained.
Love knows no limits, but ardently transcends all bounds.
Love feels no burden, takes no account of toil,
attempts things beyond its strength.
Love sees nothing as impossible,
for it feels able to achieve all things.
It is strange and effective,
while those who lack love faint and fail.
Love is not fickle and sentimental,
nor is it intent on vanities.
Like a living flame and a burning torch,
it surges upward and surely surmounts every obstacle.
I love you - Roy Croft
I love you not only for what you are,
But for what I am when I am with you
I love you not only for what you have made of yourself
But for what you are making me
I love you for the part of me that you bring out.
I love you for passing over all my foolish and weak traits,
That you can’t help but see
I love you for drawing out into the light my beauty,
That no one else had looked quite far enough to find I love you.
Resignation by Nikki Giovanni I love you
because the Earth turns round the sun
because the North wind blows north
sometimes
because the Pope is Catholic
and most Rabbis Jewish
because winters flow into spring
and the air clears after a storm
because only my love for you
despite the charms of gravity
keeps me from falling off the Earth
into another dimension
I love you
because it is the natural order of things
I love you
Friendship by Judy Belieki
It is often said that it is love that makes the world go round.
However, without doubt, it is friendship which keeps our spinning existence on an even keel.
True friendship provides so many of the essentials for a happy life –
it is the foundation on which to build an enduring relationship,
it is the mortar which bonds us together in harmony,
and it is the calm, warm protection we sometimes need when the world outside seems cold and chaotic.
True friendship holds a mirror to our foibles and failings, without destroying our sense of worthiness.
True friendship nurtures our hopes, supports us in our disappointments, and encourages us to grow to our best potential.
This couple came together as friends, they pledge to each other not only their love but also the strength, warmth and, most importantly, the fun of true friendship.
From the Sanskrit Look to this day for it is life
The very life of life in its brief course
lie all the varieties and realities of your existence
The bliss of growth
The glory of action
The splendor of beauty
For yesterday is already a dream
And tomorrow is only a vision
But today, well lived, makes every yesterday a dream of happiness
And every tomorrow a vision of hope
Look well, therefore, to this day
“Love is friendship that has caught fire. It is quiet understanding, mutual confidence, sharing and forgiving. It is loyalty through good and bad times. It settles for less than perfection and makes allowances for human weaknesses.” Ann Landers
Love is like a friendship caught on fire.
In the beginning a flame, very pretty,
Often hot and fierce,
But still only light and flickering.
As love grows older,
Our hearts mature
And our love becomes as coals,
Deep-burning and unquenchable....Unknown.
“Love Is Friendship Caught Fire”, by Laura Hendricks "Love is friendship caught fire; it is quiet, mutual confidence, sharing and forgiving. It is loyalty through good and bad times. It settles for less than perfection, and makes allowances for human weaknesses. Love is content with the present, hopes for the future, and does not brood over the past. It is the day-in and day-out chronicles of irritations, problems, compromises, small disappointments, big victories, and working toward common goals. If you have love in your life, it can make up for a great many things you lack. If you do not have it, no matter what else there is, it is not enough."
The Prayer from St. Francis of Assisi
Lord, make us instruments of your peace.
Where there is hatred, let us sow love;
Where there is injury, pardon;
Where there is discord, union;
Where there is doubt, faith;
Where there is despair, hope;
Where there is darkness, light;
Where there is sadness, joy;
O Divine Master, grant that we may not so much seek
To be consoled as to console,
To be understood as to understand,
To be loved as to love.
For it is in giving that we receive;
It is in pardoning that we are pardoned;
And it is in dying that we are born to eternal life. Amen
Wedding Gifts by Katherine Murphy
Grant us O Lord, the gift of words, Kind and loving words that communicate and encourage, words of wisdom from you.
Grant us O Lord, the gift of attention, rapt listening to the needs of one another and the casting aside of all focus on ourselves.
Grant us O Lord, the gift of acceptance, the ability to recognize our differences and see in one another the unique person you created.
Grant us O Lord, the gift of patience, not only with each other as we grow and change but to know that all good things come in your time.
Grant us O Lord, the greatest of all the gifts, Love – on this day and always – as we join together in the sacred union of marriage.
A Wedding Prayer of Love by Rabbi Rami M. Shapiro.
Dear God, You have brought this couple together that they might risk the joys and sorrows of love. They have said “yes” to You and to each other. We now ask that You bless them with love and compassion, righteousness and truth. Guide them in the ways of deep and loving friendship that they may forever cherish, honor, uphold and sustain each other and the divine image that is
What is Love?
A group of professional people posed this question to group of
4-to-8-year-olds: "What does love mean?" The answers they got were broader
and deeper than anyone could have imagined. See what you think ...
"When my grandmother got arthritis, she couldn't bend over and paint her
toenails anymore. So my grandfather does it for her all the time, even when
his hands got arthritis too. That's love."
-Rebecca, age 8
"When someone loves you, the way they say your name is different. You know
that your name is safe in their mouth."
-Billy, age 4
"Love is when you go out to eat and give somebody most of your French fries
without making them give you any of theirs."
-Chrissy, age 6
"Love is when someone hurts you. And you get so mad but you don't yell at
them because you know it would hurt their feelings."
-Samantha, age 7
"Love is what makes you smile when you're tired." -Terri, age 4
"Love is when my mommy makes coffee for my daddy and she takes a sip before
giving it to him, to make sure the taste is OK.
-"Danny, age 7
"Love is what's in the room with you at Christmas if you stop opening
presents and listen."
-Bobby, age 5
"If you want to learn to love better, you should start with a friend who
you hate."
-Nikka, age 6
"Love is hugging. Love is kissing. Love is saying no" -Patty, age 8
"When you tell someone something bad about yourself and you're scared they
won't love you anymore. But then you get surprised because not only do they
still love you, they love you even more."
-Matthew, age 7
"There are two kinds of love. Our love. God's love. But God makes both
kinds of them."
-Jenny, age 8
"Love is when you tell a guy you like his shirt, then he wears it
everyday."
-Noelle, age 7
"Love is like a little old woman and a little old man who are still friends
even after they know each other so well."
-Tommy, age 6
"During my piano recital, I was on a stage and scared. I looked at all the
people watching me and saw my daddy waving and smiling. He was the only one
doing that. I wasn't scared anymore."
-Cindy, age 8
"My mommy loves me more than anybody. You don't see anyone else kissing me
to sleep at night." -Clare, age 5
"Love is when mommy gives daddy the best piece of chicken."
-Elaine, age 5
"Love is when mommy sees daddy smelly and sweaty and still says he is
handsomer than Robert Redford."
-Chris, age 8
"Love is when your puppy licks your face even after you left him alone all
day."
-Mary Ann, age 4
"I know my older sister loves me because she gives me all her old clothes
and has to go out and buy new ones."
-Lauren, age 5
I let my big sister pick on me because my Mom says she only picks on me
because she loves me. So I pick on my baby sister because I love her."
-Bethany, age 4
"Love cards like Valentine's cards say stuff on them that we'd like to say
ourselves, but we wouldn't be caught dead saying."
-Mike, age 8
"When you love somebody, your eyelashes go up and down and little stars
come out of you."
-Karen, age 7
"You really shouldn't say 'I love you' unless you mean it. But if you mean
it, you should say it a lot. People forget."
-Jessica, age 8
"God could have said magic words to make the nails fall off the cross, but
He didn't. That's love."
-Max, age 5
a reading by Rainer Maria Rilke
Marriage is in many ways a simplification of life, and it naturally combines the strengths and wills of two young people so that, together, they seem to reach farther into the future than they did before. Above all, marriage is a new task and a new seriousness, - a new demand on the strength and generosity of each partner, and a great new danger for both. The point of marriage is not to create a quick commonality by tearing down all boundaries; on the contrary, a good marriage is one in which each partner appoints the other to be the guardian of their solitude, and thus they show each other the greatest possible trust. A merging of two people is an impossibility, and where it seems to exist, it is a hemming-in, a mutual consent that robs one party or both parties of their fullest freedom and development. But once the realization is accepted that even between the closest people infinite distances exist, a marvelous living side by side can grow up for them, if they succeed in loving the expanse between them, which gives them the possibility of always seeing each other as a whole and before an immense sky.
From the Book of Ruth:
"Do not entreat me to leave you, or to keep from following you. Wherever you go, I will go; and where you lodge, I will lodge. Your people shall be my people, and your God my God. Where you die, will I die, and there will I be buried; the Lord do so to
by Lao Tzu, interpreted by William Martin
Your love requires space in which to grow.
This space must be safe enough
to allow your hearts to be revealed.
It must offer refreshment for your spirits
and renewal for your minds.
It must be a space made sacred
by the quality of your honesty,
attention, love, and compassion.
It may be anywhere,
inside or out,
but it must exist.
by e.e. cummings
somewhere i have never traveled,
gladly beyond any experience,
your eyes have their silence:
in your most frail gesture are things which enclose me,
or which i cannot touch because they are too near
your slightest look will easily unclose me
though i have closed myself as fingers,
you open always petal by petal myself as spring opens,
touching skillfully, mysteriously, her first rose
or if your wish be to close me,
i and my life will shut very beautifully, suddenly,
as when the heart of this flower imagines
the snow carefully everywhere descending;
nothing which we are to perceive in this world equals
the power of your intense fragility -- whose texture
compels me with the color of its countries,
rendering death and forever with each breathing
i do not know what it is about you that closes and opens
only something in me understands
the voice of your eyes is deeper than all roses.
nobody, not even the rain, has such small hands.
from The Velveteen Rabbit by Margery Williams
"What is REAL?" asked the Rabbit one day, when they were lying side by side near the nursery fender, before Nana came to tidy the room. "Does it mean having things that buzz inside you and a stick-out handle?"
"Real isn't how you are made," said the Skin Horse. "It's a thing that happens to you. When a child loves you for a long, long time, not just to play with, but Really loves you, then you become Real."
"Does it hurt?" asked the Rabbit.
"Sometimes," said the Skin Horse, for he was always truthful. "When you are Real you don't mind being hurt."
"Does it happen all at once, like being wound up," he asked, "or bit by bit?"
"It doesn't happen all at once," said the Skin Horse. "You become. It takes a long time. That's why it doesn't happen often to people who break easily, or have sharp edges, or who have to be carefully kept. Generally, by the time you are Real, most of your hair has been loved off, and your eyes drop out and you get all loose in the joints and very shabby. But these things don't matter at all, because once you are Real you can't be ugly, except to people who don't understand."
from Oh The Place's You'll Go! by Theodor Seuss Geisel (Dr Seuss) Congratulations!
Today is your day.
You're off to Great Places!
You're off and away!
You have brains in your head.
You have feet in your shoes.
You can steer yourself
any direction you choose.
You're on your own. And you know what you know.
And YOU are the couple who'll decide where to go.
You'll look up and down streets. Look 'em over with care.
About some you will say, "We don't choose to go there."
With your heads full of brains and your shoes full of feet,
you're too smart to go down, any not-so-good street.
And you may not find any
you'll want to go down.
In that case, of course,
you'll head straight out of town.
It's opener there
in the wide open air,
Out there things can happen
and frequently do
to people as brainy
and footsy as you.
And when things start to happen,
don't worry. Don't stew.
Just go right along.
You'll start happening too.
OH! THE PLACES YOU'LL GO!
You'll be on your way up!
You'll be seeing great sights!
You'll join the high fliers
who soar to great heights!
You won't lag behind, because you'll have all the speed.
You'll pass the whole gang, and you'll soon take the lead.
Wherever you fly you'll be best of the best.
Wherever you go, you will top all the rest.
Except when you don't.
Because sometimes, you won't.
You'll get mixed up of course,
as you already know.
You'll get mixed up
with so many strange birds as you go.
So be sure when you step.
Step with great care and great tact
and remember that Life's a Great Balancing Act.
Just never forget to be dexterous and deft.
And never mix up your right foot with your left.
And will you succeed?
Yes! You will indeed!
(98 and ¾ percent guaranteed.)
KIDS, YOU'LL MOVE MOUNTAINS!
So, be your name Buxbaum or Dowrie or Bass
or Mordecai Ali Van Allen O'Shea,
you're off to great places!
Today is your day!
Your mountain is waiting.
So ... get on your way!
from On the Concord River by Henry David Thoreau But sometimes we are said to love another, that is, to stand in a true relation to [a friend], so that we give the best to, and receive the best from them. Between whom there is hearty truth there is love; and in proportion to our truthfulness and confidence in one another our lives are divine and miraculous, and answer to our ideal. There are passages of affection in our intercourse with mortal men and women, such as no prophecy had taught us to expect, which transcend our earthly life, and anticipate heaven for us.
"The Rhythm of Free Partners" from Anne Morrow Lindbergh's Gift from the Sea
A good relationship has a pattern like a dance and is built on
some of the same rules. The partners do not need to hold on tightly,
because they move confidently in the same pattern, intricate but gay and
swift and free, like a country dance of Mozart's. To touch heavily would
be to arrest the pattern and freeze the movement, to check the endlessly
changing beauty of its unfolding. There is no place here for the
possessive clutch, the clinging arm, the heavy hand; only the barest touch
in passing. Now arm in arm, now face to face, now back to back - it does
not matter which. Because they know they are partners moving to the same
rhythm, creating a pattern together, and being invisibly nourished by it.
When the partners each love so completely that they have forgotten
to ask themselves whether or not they are loved in return; when they each
only know that they love and are moving to its music - then, and then
only, are two people able to dance perfectly in tune to the same rhythm.
On Friendship- Kahlil Gibran
Your friend is your needs answered.
He is your field which you sow with love and reap with thanksgiving.
And he is your board and your fireside.
For you come to him with your hunger, and you seek him for peace.
When your friend speaks his mind you fear not the "nay" in your own mind, nor do you withhold the "ay."
And when he is silent your heart ceases not to listen to his heart;
For without words, in friendship, all thoughts, all desires, all expectations are born and shared, with joy that is unacclaimed.
When you part from your friend, you grieve not;
For that which you love most in him may be clearer in his absence, as the mountain to the climber is clearer from the plain.
And let there be no purpose in friendship save the deepening of the spirit.
For love that seeks aught but the disclosure of its own mystery is not love but a net cast forth: and only the unprofitable is caught.
And let your best be for your friend.
If he must know the ebb of your tide, let him know its flood also.
For what is your friend that you should seek him with hours to kill?
Seek him always with hours to live.
For it is his to fill your need, but not your emptiness.
And in the sweetness of friendship let there be laughter, and sharing of pleasures.
For in the dew of little things the heart finds its morning and is refreshed.
My Love by Linda Lee Elrod
When I met you, I had no idea
how much my life
was about to be changed...
but then, how could I have known?A love like ours happens
once in a lifetime.
You were a miracle to me,
the one who was everything
I had ever dreamed of,
the one I thought existed
only in my imagination. And when you came into my life,
I realized that what I
had always thought
was happiness
couldn't compare to the joy
loving you brought me. You are a part of everything
I think and do and feel,
and with you by my side,
I believe that anything is possible.
(this day) gives me a chance
to thank you for the miracle of you...
you are, and always will be,
the love of my life.
_____________________________________
All I Want Is To Love You by Renee Duvall
All I Want Is To Love You
for the rest of my life...
to wake up every morning
with you by my side,
knowing that no matter what happens,
I'll be able to come home
to your loving arms. All I Want Is To Share Everything With You...
to talk to you about our ideas,
our dreams, the little everyday things
that make us laugh,
and the not-so-little things
that we can't help worrying about. All I Want Is To Give You My Love...
as a place you can always
come to for acceptance
or the simple comfort that silence brings
when things left unspoken
can still be understood. All I Want Is To Grow Old With You...
to watch our life unfold,
our dreams, one by one, come true. All I Want Is To Love You Forever.
________________________________________
The Way You Love Me by Lamanda Jane Beesley It’s the way you kiss me in the morning,
And the way you always know when I am sad,
That glow in your eye when you look at the babies
And the way you make me laugh when I am mad. It’s how you know just what it takes
To take my breath away
And the things you do just naturally-
The thoughtful words you say. It’s why I can't imagine a life
Without you close to me
To hold, and love, and comfort-
To be my eyes when I need to see. I want you to know you are the only one for me
And there's nothing in the world I wouldn't do,
To show you how much you really mean to me
And that I will always be in love with you.
________________________________________
You -Unknown Author
I looked at you...
your smile captivated me
and your eyes pierced my soul I talked to you...
your jokes made me laugh
and your thoughts made me wonder I became your friend...
your character personified something unique
and your personality intrigued me As I looked at you, talked to you, and became your friend.
Slowly and magically your entire demeanor mesmerized
and captured me heart, mind, and soul...
A Million Tomorrows by Renee Duvall
A million tomorrows
wouldn't hold enough time
for me to tell you
how much I love you.
A brilliant sunset
melting into twilight
is breathtaking,
but it still doesn't come close
to the beauty I see
when I look into your eyes.
A deep green meadow
dancing with wildflowers
fills my heart with tranquility,
but it doesn't compare
to the quiet peace I feel
wrapped in your arms.
A midnight sky
scattered with thousands of silver stars
holds countless hopes and dreams,
but even a sky full of stars
can't hold all the dreams
I want to fulfill with you,
all the gifts of love
I want to share with you.
Together by Amenekko
Blue on blue, shaded, soft
gentle sea and twilight horizon.
Black and silver, deep and bright,
myriad stars and midnight space:
seamless. The sea and sky make love,
languorously,
all night--
though they never touch;
the stars and heavens embrace eternally,
joined, even infinitely apart. Soul to soul, I feel you in me:
two,
together in one.
Only You by Chastity Rebecca Barwick
There is a special place in my heart...
only you can see.
No-one else even knows it's there....
it's the tender side of me. There is a special place in my life...
only you can fulfill.
Every time I feel the blazing in my soul...
I know our love is real. This is a special time in my life...
only you do share.
The way we laugh and talk and dream...
like only lovers care.
None Have As You by Stephen Babcock
None have completed my soul,
embraced my heart,
mixed with my spirit,
as you, My Beloved... None have conquered me,
with such a simple sigh,
careless breath... None have captured my desire,
without effort,
without knowing,
as you, My Beloved... None have or ever will,
for you consume me,
enrapture me, devour me,
and it is pure Heaven.
On Marriage by Renee Duvall
The beauty of marriage is caring
with a love that grows through the years,
The sweetness of marriage is sharing
the laughter, the hopes, and the tears.
The strength of marriage is trusting
with a faith that is constant and true,
The comfort of marriage is knowing
that somebody cares about you.
The joy of marriage is building
a world that is all your own ~
in a home made of faith, hope,
and courage,
with love as the cornerstone.
Forever Yours by Sarah E. Shepherd
Your love overwhelms
the velvety depths of my inner soul
with a warmth beyond
the realm of conceptualization. Gazing into your starry eyes,
exquisitely sculpted by God Himself...
a captivating perfection
I love to find myself lost in. One gentle touch from your soft hand
purifies my heart with an amazing beauty
and liberates my spirit
to soar through the jeweled heavens
where the angels adore our love. Forever and Always;
the only times my innocent heart
yearns to be intertwined
amidst the wonderful sweetness of yours. Eternally in love...Forever Yours.
A Song of Friendship by Janell Lynn Poss
I sing of a friendship, that is timeless,
a song of all songs,
created within me, finished within you. A song so complete,
but possessing no rhyme or rhythm.
A song so confined,
but boundaries to the edge of love and over. A song caught in one soul,
dwelling in two bodies
A song connected between my smile and your laugh It is a song that will forever be heard,
A song of friendship I share with you.
A Night on the Beach by William Thomas Kinsey
Once upon a moonlit night
we walked a lonely beach.
Stars twinkled high above
they seemed close enough to reach. Arm in arm the mood was set,
gulls rested here and there.
We chatted for a little while
our talk was light as air. This moment would be priceless,
it would last throughout the years.
A quick exchange of, "I love you"s
washed away our hidden fears. Water rippled in the moonlight,
soft sand beneath our feet.
What a time to hear, and so sincere,
an, "I love you," so sweet Two lovers in the night
hand in hand they stroll the beach.
Gazing up to see the stars
almost close enough to reach.
When I looked into your eyes by steve randal johnson
when i looked into your eyes...
i could see something that said forever
and all my cares and worries were left far behind,
my gray darkened soul turned to colors, oh so bright,
my heart filled with a love i thought i never would find,
my soul filled with happiness and joy from what i have found. when i looked into your eyes...
i got lost in your outer beauty
but your inner beauty is what leaves me amazed.
when i am with you i can feel my love overflowing
pouring from my heart to yours, our souls come together
as if they were dancing to a beautiful song playing in the distance. when i look into your eyes...
i can feel a love that is so great that
i shiver and shake from the slightest touch of your hand
brushing against mine, and tears of joy run down my cheeks from
the all happiness i have found, and i realize that everything
i see, when i look into your eyes
...is you
Untitled by George Eliot What greater thing is there for two human souls than to feel that they are joined together- to strengthen each other in all labor, to minister to each other in all sorrow, to share with each other in all gladness, to be one with each other in the silent, unspoken memories?
by Thomas a Kempis
Nothing is sweeter than love;
nothing stronger, nothing higher,
nothing wider, nothing happier,
nothing fuller, nothing better
in heaven and earth...
love flies, runs, and rejoices;
it is free and nothing can hold it back.
I Knew That I Had Been Touched By Love- Author Unknown
I knew that I had been touched by love
the first time I saw you,
and I felt your warmth,
and I heard your laughter. I knew that I had been touched by love
when I was hurting from something that happened,
and you came along and made the hurt go away. I knew that I had been touched by love
when I quit making plans with my friends,
and started dreaming dreams with you. I knew that I had been touched by love
when suddenly I stopped thinking in terms of "me",
and started thinking in terms of "we". I knew that I had been touched by love
when I didn't want to make decisions
by myself anymore,
because I had the strong desire to share everything
with you. I knew that I had been touched by love
the first time we spent alone together,
and I knew I wanted to stay with you forever
because I had never felt this touched by love.
Robert Browning from “ Rabbi Ben Ezra”
Grow old along with me!
The best is yet to be,
The last of life, for which the first was made:
Our times are in his hand
Who saith, “A whole I planned,
Youth shows but half; trust God: see all, nor be afraid!”…
Irrational Season by Madeleine L’Engle- A Selection
But ultimately there comes a moment when a decision must be made. Ultimately two people who love each other must ask themselves how much they hope for as their love grows and deepens, and how much risk they are willing to take…It is indeed a fearful gamble… Because it is the nature of love to create, a marriage itself is something which has to be created, so that, together we become a new creature. To marry is the biggest risk in human relations that a person can take…If we commit ourselves to one person for life this is not, as many people think, a rejection of freedom; rather it demands the courage to move into all the risks of freedom, and the risk of love which is permanent; into that love which is not possession, but participation…It takes a lifetime to learn another person…When love is not possession, but participation, then it is part of that co-creation which is our human calling, and which implies such risk that it is often rejected.
True Love- Author Unknown
True love is a sacred flame that burns eternally,
And none can dim its special glow or change its destiny.
True love speaks in tender tones and hears with gentle ear,
True love gives with open heart and true love conquers fear.
True love makes no harsh demands It neither rules nor binds,
True love holds with gentle hands the hearts that it entwines.
Author Unknown Remember, anything beautiful that you have, came from God. In the beginning, God gave us our free will and our identity to walk this earth. Don't ever try to change each other, because if you do, you will lose exactly what you fell in love with. So, each day try to find one more thing that is beautiful in your mate and each day know that the next day will be more beautiful than the one before. As long as you are doing this, you are seeking beauty, joy, and love in each other.
The Promise by Heather Berry
Within this blessed union of souls, where two hearts intertwine to become one, there lies a promise. Perfectly born, divinely created, and intimately shared, it is a place where the hope and majesty of beginnings reside, where all things are made possible by the astounding love shared by two spirits. As you hold each other’s hands in this promise, and eagerly look into the future in each other’s eyes, may your unconditional love and devotion take you to places where you’ve both only dreamed. Where you’ll dwell for a lifetime of happiness, sheltered in the warmth of each other’s arms.
The Perfect Love, The Perfect Friend by Renee Duvall Because you are my love... I know the joy that comes from feeling closer to someone than I've ever felt before.
Because you are my love... I know the passion of wanting to share everything I have, everything I am with you and only you.
Because you are my friend... I know that I can count on you to hold my hand through the rough times and to be there to share the good times too.
Because you are my friend... I'll always have someone to make me smile just when I need it most, and to encourage me when I'm feeling confused or doubtful.
I know that I must be one of the luckiest people in the world to have someone like you.
The perfect love, the perfect friend.
This Marriage - Ode 2667 Rumi
May these vows and this marriage be blessed.
May it be sweet milk,
this marriage, like wine and halvah.
May this marriage offer fruit and shade
like the date palm.
May this marriage be full of laughter,
our every day a day in paradise.
May this marriage be a sign of compassion,
a seal of happiness here and hereafter.
May this marriage have a fair face and a good name,
an omen as welcome
as the moon in a clear blue sky.
I am out of words to describe
how spirit mingles in this marriage.
(lyrics for Two of Us- Mr T Experience)
Now there are two of us, instead of only one,
two times as many things get left half undone.
We're twice as half-asleep when the new day has begun
and maybe twice as on the run,
'cause some of them will still be making fun of us.
They'll say the two of you will never be one of us.
But even if that's true,
they'll have twice as much to do
when there are two of us,
and one of them is you.
They'll find the two of us much harder to restrain,
outsmarted by our impressive double brain
If one of us runs dry, still another will remain,
and it's twice as hard to pull the chain
of two of us, against a ton of them:
but two of us outnumber every single one of them.
Two lives are semi-rough
with half the rent and twice the stuff.
There are two of us, and that should be enough.
Look at everybody.
Everybody's always
falling apart or breaking up.
But the two of us never will be one of those
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