First of all, I’d like to thank everyone for coming to share in Groom and Bride’s joyous day. Family and friends are the most important things to have, and it means so much that you could all be here. Fair warning, though, this may get a bit sciency.
In 1977, as NASA’s Voyager 1 reached the edge of our solar system, flying farther than any human-made object had before, Carl Sagan requested NASA to turn it back towards Earth to take a picture. From 3.7 billion miles away, the Earth was nothing but a speck. Of this, Carl Sagan wrote:
From this distant vantage point, the Earth might not seem of any particular interest. But for us, it's different. <!-- -->Look again at that dot. That's here, that's home, that's us. On it everyone you love, everyone you know, everyone you ever heard of, every human being who ever was, lived out their lives. The aggregate of our joy and suffering, thousands of confident religions, ideologies, and economic doctrines, every hunter and forager, every hero and coward, every creator and destroyer of civilization, every king and peasant, every young couple in love, every mother and father, hopeful child, inventor and explorer, every teacher of morals, every corrupt politician, every "superstar," every "supreme leader," every saint and sinner in the history of our species lived there – on a mote of dust suspended in a sunbeam.
This pale blue dot - one of eight planets, flying around one star of 300 billion stars in one galaxy of 200 billion galaxies in the known universe - is our home. And for every grain of sand on earth there are at least 100 stars in the sky. Even in the darkest areas of space there are thousands of galaxies which are invisible to the naked eye. Against this unimaginably huge backdrop, the lives of two humble humans appear small and insignificant.
But we are not insignificant! We give each other meaning and purpose. To each other, we are special: we are friends and we are family. We travel across continents to share in each others’ joy. We share stories around campfires, and patch each others’ roofs. We dine together on holidays, remember and reminisce about those that came before us and loved ones lost. We offer shoulders to cry on and hands to hold.
And we love.
More important than anything, we forge these relationships and we love each other. Love gives us strength and hope for the future. So long as we have love, nothing can hold us back.
And time flies! Life is short, and each breath we take is a moment passed. We’ve got a limited number of them, and so no breath should ever be wasted. It’s difficult though: they pass too quickly. Sometimes, we need to focus extra hard, to try to remember certain breaths, breaths that deserve to be remembered. On a vacation with family, looking out over an ocean, you take pause, and hold on to that feeling so that later, you can remember it more clearly. The smell of salt in the air, the sound of the crashing waves, the light of the sun, so bright as it shimmers across the tops of the waves and the warmth on your skin. And a lulling wind so gentle, like a lover’s soft caress.
Today is already almost over. And in your lives, this is one of those days to be remembered. So, right now, together, let us all take one moment. Close your eyes, maybe tilt your head back, and focus on right now. This moment, this breath. Feel the sun on your skin, smell the air. Let everything else but your senses melt away and enjoy this breath. Hold on to this breath, and let it stir in your lungs. Cherish it as you exhale, and try to remember this moment. A moment, a breath shared with loved ones.
Groom and Bride, <!-- -->take these rings, and place them on each others’ fingers.
Do you promise to cherish and respect each other, in good times and in bad?
Do you promise to communicate openly and honestly, and to never stop trying to discover more about each other?
Do you promise to explore, laugh and learn together, and to never stop trying to better yourselves and those around you?
Do you promise to love each other, for as long as you both shall live?
Every day brings new air to be breathed, new experiences and new ideas to be explored. Please cherish each one, and know that you are sharing it with someone you love.
By the power vested in me by the Universal Life Church and the State of _____, I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may now kiss.
And may I present to you, Groom and Bride.
