[all
text © Dawn Davidson and Akien MacIain, 2005]
Dawn & Akien’s
15th Anniversary Recommitment Ceremony
held as a
surprise at the Poly Pool Party,
[
“Tonight we have a little
surprise for you. Fifteen years ago, on
“But then they realized that
tonight *is* a gathering of their community, the community they have invested
in, and who have been there to support them in their times of greatest need. What
more appropriate place to speak these words to one another?”
[Les briefly and
extemporaneously speaks about getting to watching us love each other from a
very intimate space, etc.]
“Therefore, I would now like
to ask Dawn and Akien to join me here, to speak briefly about their past, their
present, and their future together.”
Statements of past love and challenges:
Akien: I would like to
acknowledge that we have been through joy and pain. In the past, I have lied to
you, but I have also been your steadfast support, encouraging your growth and
self-expression.
Dawn: I would like to
acknowledge that we have brought each other both difficulty and loving
support. In the past, I have raised my
voice at you and at times have failed to meet your needs. However, I also have
been your anchor and compass, encouraging your growth and development as a
person.
Appreciations, to acknowledge where we are now:
[Les explains briefly about
the exercise this is based on]
Akien:
“I really love the way your hair looks right now”
Dawn: Thank you.
Dawn: I love how much you have always tried to take the
best care of me that you knew how.
Akien: Thank you.
Akien: I love working with you to help others.
Dawn: Thank you.
Dawn: I love the people you bring into my life as lovers,
as friends, as family, as community.
Your heartmates are mine as well, and I value
them beyond compare.
Akien: Thank you.
Akien: I have always loved touching you.
Dawn: Thank you.
Dawn: I love the way you smell, especially at the back of
your neck. Mmmmm.
Akien: Thank you.
Commitments to
each other, for the future:
[Each
to the other, alternating in pairs:]
I
commit to work through things, even when they are hard, to love and support you,
to partner with you, to create joy with you. [Akien speaks, then Dawn]
I
commit to taking you as you are now, flaws and foibles, as well as benefits and
blessings. I honor both the light and the dark in you. [Dawn speaks, then
Akien, and so on]
I
commit to helping you always on your path of growth, while at the same time not
neglecting my own.
I
commit to raising our children together, to help them become the whole and
beautiful beings that they can be, and to learn from them the valuable and
unique teachings that they bring to us as well.
I
commit to supporting our lovers, and to allowing them to support us, always
within a circle of love and respect.
Your joy is my joy, and I rejoice in your expanded love.
I
commit to providing and receiving support from our family of choice, working
and growing with and within our community, in an ever widening circle of love.
Akien and Dawn: [hand on
heart position] “My heart to yours, my mind to yours, my body to yours, my soul
to yours, my spirit to yours” [Note: this was from ceremony in 1990]
Les quotes:
“Here is no first or second,
here is no last
Here is no below nor above
nor beginning nor end
This is the unbroken wreath
of living water
Land answering sky answering
land
Thus lovingkindness moves,
From the Holy One to the
person and back again
There is no below nor above
nor beginning nor end
This is the unbroken wreath
of loving kindness
love answering Love answering love”
(Suzette Haden Elgin, in the Appendix to Native Tongue
Les announces: “You may now kiss whomever you want!”
[all
text © Dawn Davidson and Akien MacIain, 2005]