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Family Celebrations Prayers, Poems, and Toasts for Every Occasion
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GRATITUDE
To our
Friends who have become Family
and our
Family who have become Friends--
May you be blessed with the same
love and care you've given us.Mary Maude Daniels
WEDDING TOAST
grow always
grow together
find your music
and danceGaar Scott
A BLESSING FOR FAMILY
May our family be blessed with comforts for the physical
And riches of the spirit.
May our paths be lit with sunshine
And sorrow ne'er darken our doors.
May our harvest be bountiful
And our hearth ever welcoming.
May we celebrate together in times of joy
And comfort one another in times of sorrow.
And mostly:
May we always stay together
And share the laughter, the love, and the tears
As only family can.Danielle Brigante
MEMORIAL SERVICE
This present day.
This absent one.
We are gathered
to remember
_____________ ,
gone from view,
not from heart.
Grant a safe passage
from this earth
of wild beauty
to places unknown.
Give to those
who are left--
time to mourn,
time to heal,
and time to reflect
on the memory
of the love we shared.Anne Spring
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REVIEW: If home is where the heart is, Family Celebrations will touch your heart and bring you home. This radiant book makes us all a part of each other's families, united with each other's souls. (Father Paul Keenan, author of Good News for Bad Days: Living a Soulful Life)
REVIEW: If families in the new millennium are going to have a prayer of surviving, they'd better start saying them. Cotner provides a menu of rituals that will energize the heart of any group committed to one another's welfare. (Paul Pearsall, Ph.D., author of The Heart's Code)
REVIEW: Do you need words for a traditional Sunday afternoon Mormon family gathering, a Hanukkah thanksgiving, a Christmas prayer, a Kwanzaa commitment, an Earth Day pledge, a Mother's or Father's Day toast, grandparents day, birthdays, christenings, Halloween, Thanksgiving, St. Valentine's Day, Easter or a New Year's toast? Cotner's collections seem appropriate. Words for wedding toasts, a daughter's wedding, a parent's wedding, "soul mate" pledges, or even for a second marriage, are presented in an attractive wide format that allows one to put notes, dates and names in the margins to mark the events. Some of the works included in the book are from Carl Sandburg, William Shakespeare, Rumi the Sufi poet, Dag Hammarskjold, Kahlil Gibran, George Eliot, Margaret Anne Huffman and James Bertolino. Rudyard Kipling's classic "If" is paired with Doris Land Mueller's "If for Mothers." If one wants to bless an athlete, toast a tooth fairy, honor a stepfamily, appear smart at a graduation, acknowledge a new job, have some "moving" words for a move to a new home or just to appreciate a family pet, it's all in the book too. (The Oakland Tribune, April 24, 1999)
REVIEW: There are times when even a tried-and-true toast like "Here's mud in your eye" doesn't quite cut it. For those times -- occasions like Mother's Day, Father's Day, family reunions, graduations and weddings -- June Cotner has come to the rescue. "Family Celebrations: Prayers, Poems, and Toasts for Every Occasion" (Andrews McMeel Publishing, $16.95) is the fifth anthology the Poulsbo, Wash., editor has pulled together since she published "Graces" in 1994. After sifting through hundreds of toasts, traditional and original, Cotner concluded that the best ones are short, inclusive and meaningful to as many guests as possible. If it's elegant or eloquent, that's icing on the cake. One of her favorites is an all-purpose toast she heard from a fellow yoga student. It was one his dad often used: For a thousand days like today. "It's short and optimistic," Cotner says. "It says that we who are gathered here have had such a great day and we're going to have many, many more of them." Impromptu toasts may be inspired, but often they're lackluster and sometimes, left to chance, they never even happen. "Because we're tongue-tied, we often don't do anything," Cotner says. "Often with our events we're so busy with our preparations and planning that we don't take time to honor the people who are there." (The Oregonian, May 4, 1999)
REVIEW: Words matter. Carefully crafted speech carries weight. A well-turned phrase can inspire, uplift and bless. Yet when special occasions call for eloquence, it is often easier to position the camera and pour the champagne than choose words to aptly crown life's significant moments. For the tongue-tied or tired-out, a new book by June Cotner will help in the quest for suitable sayings. "Family Celebrations: Prayers, Poems, and Toasts for Every Occasion" is a diverse collection of more than 170 fitting tributes for every type of family gathering. From the author of "Graces" and "Bless the Day," this heirloom-quality hardbook is profound, yet small enough to fit in a coat pocket. Cotner considered more than 4,000 works for the anthology and has culled a selection from contemporary writers and traditional notables such as William Shakespeare, Carl Sandburg and Robert Browning. "Family Celebrations" includes words of inspiration for the monumental milestones such as weddings, christenings, graduations and anniversaries as well as for life's more ordinary transitions including a new job, retirement, moving day or a missing tooth: "Here's to the old tooth under the pillow, Here's to the space that it left behind, Here's to the new tooth soon to follow, Here's to the tooth fairy, generous and kind!"(Barbara Younger) Whether large or small, these are the events that touch our lives, Cotner said. "Family Celebrations" recognizes those shared rites of passage. The book is designed to appeal to a wide range of faiths, with selections such as "A Buddhist Grace," "Each Chanukah Candle" and "A Kwanzaa Commitment." "My inspiration is to bond families," said Cotner. "These spoken rituals let family members know they are valued and important. Particularly in these times when families are stressed, appropriate words can create lasting memories." (The Spokesman-Review, May 17, 1999)
REVIEW: You'll never be at a loss for the right word at the right time, if you have Family Celebrations at your fingertips. June Cotner has collected a delightful assortment of prayers and poetry, drawing on famous authors in literature, as well as contemporary writers. Cotner's five previous books give her the necessary expertise to showcase these selections to be read aloud or recited at family gatherings, be they big or small. If you find yourself at a cowboy wedding, read Judy Barnes' poem; for a new home, a whole section of verse awaits you; other gems abound. Family Celebrations contains material appropriate for any religious occasion, as well as words appropriate to highlight and brighten an ordinary day, without being maudlin. It is beautifully produced, well-indexed and of a welcoming size to hold easily. Highly recommended. (Hutton Publications, April 30, 1999) |
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