Weddingbee Blog

Recognize this guy?

All images and quoted text via Home.Pacific.Net

Back in the somewhat early days of our relationship I had a surgical procedure performed. This procedure took me out of commission for a few days, as I spent most of my time eating pudding and lying on the couch in a painkiller-induced haze. Lucky me, I had the best nurse in the world around to help me recuperate—Mr. Marmalade! One day while in this haze I asked Mr. M to read me a story, and not just any story—I asked him to read my favorite children’s book, The Little Prince. For the record I blame those crazy pain pills for that amazing request. Although I am really happy the “hazy-me” decided to share that story with him, because now there is a book that I pick up from time to time and it reminds me of that sweet moment in our history.

And why am I telling you this? Because our pastor allowed us to include a secular (non-religious) reading in our ceremony, and I know just which one it would be!

Here is the excerpt we want to use:

“What does that mean—’tame’?”

“It is an act too often neglected,” said the fox. It means to establish ties.”

“‘To establish ties’?”

“Just that,” said the fox. “To me, you are still nothing more than a little boy who is just like a hundred thousand other little boys. And I have no need of you. And you, on your part, have no need of me. To you, I am nothing more than a fox like a hundred thousand other foxes. But if you tame me, then we shall need each other. To me, you will be unique in all the world. To you, I shall be unique in all the world…”

***

“So the little prince tamed the fox. And when the hour of his departure drew near—

“Ah,” said the fox, “I shall cry.”

“It is your own fault,” said the little prince. “I never wished you any sort of harm; but you wanted me to tame you…”

“Yes, that is so,” said the fox.

“But now you are going to cry!” said the little prince.

“Yes, that is so,” said the fox.

“Then it has done you no good at all!”

“It has done me good,” said the fox, “because of the color of the wheat fields.” And then he added:
“Go and look again at the roses. You will understand now that yours is unique in all the world. Then come back to say goodbye to me, and I will make you a present of a secret.”

***

“And he went back to meet the fox.”

“Goodbye,” he said.

“Goodbye,” said the fox. “And now here is my secret, a very simple secret: It is only with the heart that one can see rightly; what is essential is invisible to the eye.”
“What is essential is invisible to the eye,” the little prince repeated, so that he would be sure to remember.

“It is the time you have wasted for your rose that makes your rose so important.”

“It is the time I have wasted for my rose—” said the little prince, so that he would be sure to remember.

“Men have forgotten this truth,” said the fox. “But you must not forget it. You become responsible, forever, for what you have tamed. You are responsible for your rose…”

“I am responsible for my rose,” the little prince repeated, so that he would be sure to remember.

The idea of “creating ties” and being “responsible” has meant a lot to me, and it’s meant a lot to us. He’s responsible for me, I’m responsible for him, and we’re responsible for the things that matter to us outside of ourselves. And I hope that through our relationship, we continue to understand our responsibility to the world.

I couldn’t think of a better, more lighthearted way to incorporate those sentiments into our ceremony.

Are you incorporating any nontraditional readings into your ceremony?