First of all, it’s a big responsibility.

So think long and hard before deciding on love.

On the other hand, love gives you a sense of security:

when you’re walking down the street late at night

and you have a leash on love

ain’t no one going to mess with you.

Because crooks and muggers think love is unpredictable.

Who knows what love could do in its own defense?

On cold winter nights, love is warm.

It lies between you and lives and breathes

and makes funny noises.

Love wakes you up all hours of the night with its needs.

It needs to be fed so it will grow and stay healthy.

Love doesn’t like being left alone for long.

But come home and love is always happy to see you.

It may break a few things accidentally in its passion for life,

but you can never be mad at love for long.

Is love good all the time? No! No!

Love can be bad. Bad, love, bad! Very bad love.

Love makes messes.

Love leaves you little surprises here and there.

Love needs lots of cleaning up after.

Sometimes you just want to get love fixed.

Sometimes you want to roll up a piece of newspaper

and swat love on the nose, not so much to cause pain,

just to let love know ‘Don’t you ever do that again!’

Sometimes love just wants to go for a nice long walk.

Because love loves exercise.

It runs you around the block and leaves you panting.

It pulls you in several different directions at once,

or winds around and around you

until you’re all wound up and can’t move.

But love makes you meet people wherever you go.

People who have nothing in common but love

stop and talk to each other on the street.

Throw things away and love will bring them back, again,

and again, and again.

But most of all, love needs love, lots of it.

And in return, love loves you and never stops.

By Taylor Mali

Yesterday, I made history when I conducted a humanist ceremony to the mark the inauguration of the Ulverston’s new mayor, Dr Bharath Rajan.

Over the last 31 years, Ulverston has marked the appointment of its new mayor with a celebration on Civic Sunday. In the past, these have all been marked with a religious ceremony which have taken place in one of the town’s churches.

This year, the mayor was determined to do things differently.  He wanted the occasion to reflect his humanist values and beliefs.  Over the last couple of months, I worked closely with him and the town clerk to prepare this unique event which took place in the town’s parish rooms for the first time.

Although the mayor’s ceremony was entirely secular in nature, it was all inclusive and involved many local people. Readings were performed by Bharath’s family and the CEO of Ford Community Park.

Leah Greaves, from Victoria High School, played a moving rendition from Shindler’s List on the violin and David Thompson and Ian Honeyman played the piano. During a moment of quiet reflection, guests were invited to reflect on their community whilst Ulverston Town Band played ‘A Wonderful World.’

Dignitaries from all over South Lakeland and the Furness peninsula, including the High Sheriff of Cumbria, gathered for the occasion.  The overwhelming feedback was that the ceremony had been ‘positive’ and ‘uplifting’ and had made ‘a refreshing change’.

I felt very proud to be involved and look forward to conducting many more humanist ceremonies in the local community in the years to come.

Pictures include myself with the mayor and with Mum outside Ulverston Coronation Hall and posing with the town’s famous statue of Laurel and Hardy.

A successful marriage can learn a lot from bicycle riding

You should promise each other that you will not be fair weather riders, but venture out together in the wind and the rain. Only by braving the storms as a team will you reap the rewards when the sunshine arrives.

Look after each other. A well-oiled bike will run smoothly and change gear easily.

Marriage is like a tandem, keep pedalling or the one at the front shouts at you!

You should promise each other to not only enjoy new adventures and explorations, but appreciate the same old routes you know and love.

Marriage is a promise to each other to endure the climbs so that you may chase the swoops and swerves of the perfect downhill-track.

The journey may be long and may have hills ahead, but if you climb together with love and passion, you will be able to achieve everything you both desire!

Breaking the glass at a Jewish Wedding

There are a variety of modern interpretations of this popular custom

As with many symbolic acts, a host of reasons are offered to explain why a glass is broken at a Jewish wedding. Here is a collection of some modern interpretations:

~ Breaking the glass can remind a marrying couple that life holds sorrow as well as joy. Standing under their marriage canopy a bride and groom are at the pinnacle of happiness.  Breaking the glass reminds them of their commitment to each other when times are more difficult.

~ A broken glass can symbolize what is broken in society.  Some couples choose to focus their energies on something specific that they wish to repair.  For example, social and economic inequality, or marriage inequality.

~ A more mystical explanation is that the glass represents the couple.  And that just as the glass, when it is broken, enters a state from which it will never emerge.  It is the hope of the community that the couple will never emerge from their married state.

~ Similarly, this custom can be a reminder to the couple of the fragility of relationships, a cue to treat their marriage with special care.

~ The pieces of glass are plentiful, and this can represent the hope for abundant happiness in life, or for many children.

~ Interfaith couples sometimes suggest that, for them, breaking the glass symbolizes breaking down barriers between people of different faiths and cultures.

I love you by 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 of me.

I love you
For the part of me
That you bring out;

I love you
For putting your hand
Into my heaped-up heart
And passing over
All the foolish, weak things
That you can’t help
Dimly seeing there,

And for drawing out
Into the light
All the beautiful belongings
That no one else had looked
Quite far enough to find

I love you because you
Are helping me to make
Of the lumber of my life
Not a tavern
But a temple.

Out of the works
Of my every day
Not a reproach
But a song.

I love you
Because you have done
More than any creed
Could have done
To make me good.
And more than any fate
Could have done
To make me happy.

You have done it
Without a touch,
Without a word,
Without a sign.
You have done it
by being yourself.