last week, i stood for my best friend as she married the man of her dreams. this was the first wedding i'd ever been "in", so being that close to the action forced me to really listen to what was going on.
the following passages were read at the wedding by her mom. while she was reading these, i thought long and hard about who i've become over these last couple of years and how with age comes a solid understanding of the actual meaning of real things - like marriage. of all the weddings i've been to, and all the verses i've ever read or listened to describing love, commitment, and what it takes to be devoted to another person, i've never been so affected by a passage as i was by these. i hope you like them.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The institution of marriage was begun
that a man and a woman
might learn how to love
and, in loving, know joy;
that a man and a woman
might learn how to share pain and loneliness
and, in sharing, know strength;
that a man and a woman
might learn how to give
and, in giving know communion.
The institution of marriage was begun
that a man and a woman
might through their joy,
their strength, and their communion,
become creators of life itself.
Marriage is a high and holy state,
to be held
in honor
among all men and women.
Marriage is a low and common state,
to be built
of the stuff
of daily life.
Men and women are not angels, nor are they gods.
Love can become hatred;
joy, sorrow,
marriage, divorce.
(this is the part where i totally lost it, the tears were pouring down my cheeks...)
But human beings are not condemned to failure.
Love can grow even in a real world.
The wounds of sorrow can be healed,
And new life built on the learning's of the old.
This is the reason for our gathering today:
to renew our faith
in the strength of hope
and the power of love.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The hand which you each offer to the other is an extension of yourselves; just as is the warmth and love which you express to each other. Cherish the touch, for you're touching another life. Be sensitive to its pulse, and try to understand and respect its flow and rhythm, Just as you do your own. If your love is to widen and deepen, you must find a way to move with each other; perhaps in a slow and graceful dance (bare feet firmly feeling the ground), a dance, that circles and tests and learns as it gradually move closer to that place where you can each pass through the other and turn and embrace without breaking or losing any part of yourselves but only to learn more of who you each are by your touching, to find that you are each whole individual and separate yet, in the same instance, one, joined as a whole that does not blur the two individuals as you dance. The music is there if you will listen hard, through the static and noise of life, and other tunes that fill your heads. You are here, marking time to the music. The dance can only begin If you will take the first (and hardest) tentative, uncertain, stumbling steps.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
powerful stuff, don't you think?
the following passages were read at the wedding by her mom. while she was reading these, i thought long and hard about who i've become over these last couple of years and how with age comes a solid understanding of the actual meaning of real things - like marriage. of all the weddings i've been to, and all the verses i've ever read or listened to describing love, commitment, and what it takes to be devoted to another person, i've never been so affected by a passage as i was by these. i hope you like them.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The institution of marriage was begun
that a man and a woman
might learn how to love
and, in loving, know joy;
that a man and a woman
might learn how to share pain and loneliness
and, in sharing, know strength;
that a man and a woman
might learn how to give
and, in giving know communion.
The institution of marriage was begun
that a man and a woman
might through their joy,
their strength, and their communion,
become creators of life itself.
Marriage is a high and holy state,
to be held
in honor
among all men and women.
Marriage is a low and common state,
to be built
of the stuff
of daily life.
Men and women are not angels, nor are they gods.
Love can become hatred;
joy, sorrow,
marriage, divorce.
(this is the part where i totally lost it, the tears were pouring down my cheeks...)
But human beings are not condemned to failure.
Love can grow even in a real world.
The wounds of sorrow can be healed,
And new life built on the learning's of the old.
This is the reason for our gathering today:
to renew our faith
in the strength of hope
and the power of love.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The hand which you each offer to the other is an extension of yourselves; just as is the warmth and love which you express to each other. Cherish the touch, for you're touching another life. Be sensitive to its pulse, and try to understand and respect its flow and rhythm, Just as you do your own. If your love is to widen and deepen, you must find a way to move with each other; perhaps in a slow and graceful dance (bare feet firmly feeling the ground), a dance, that circles and tests and learns as it gradually move closer to that place where you can each pass through the other and turn and embrace without breaking or losing any part of yourselves but only to learn more of who you each are by your touching, to find that you are each whole individual and separate yet, in the same instance, one, joined as a whole that does not blur the two individuals as you dance. The music is there if you will listen hard, through the static and noise of life, and other tunes that fill your heads. You are here, marking time to the music. The dance can only begin If you will take the first (and hardest) tentative, uncertain, stumbling steps.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
powerful stuff, don't you think?
