There are many readings out there, the following is just a select few.

 

Instead of explaining what Humanism is, I prefer to use the below as a reading.  Let me know if you’d rather I didn’t or edit it as you wish!

Let our children cultivate kindness, for it does not often come without cultivation, and it is needed: the world is too harsh.

Let our children find courage and discover that they are stronger than the things of which they are afraid. Courage in their dealings with their own lives, courage in speaking out for the right, in condemning injustice, in standing for good against evil, courage to remain loyal to a deep conviction at whatever cost.

Let our children learn that they are like other people… and that there is good and bad in all of us, and that each of us must make a hard struggle to bring the good out on top. Then, because of their own lost battles, they will acquire a gentle wisdom and walk softly where other people might get hurt.

Let our children learn to love truth. If they do this, they will not be much hampered by prejudice, for wherever truth can enter, prejudice cannot long remain. Let our children learn to be honest, both with themselves and with all others. This is a basic human value.

By A. Powell Davies

 

I usually include the below reading in the ceremony – it provides a useful transition point from the informal narrative part (your story) into the more formal part where the promises take place.  Let me know if you would rather I didn’t include it!

“What a mystery blood is – how does a tiny gesture, a tone of voice, endure through generations like the harder verities of flesh?  We see it again and again and accept without thought the echoes of parent and grandparent that appear for brief moments, the shadow of a face that looks back at us through the years and then vanishes into the face that is now…Perhaps that is why parents watch their children in such enchantment…finding out the tiny links between them, that bind the chains of life, one generation to the next.”

By Diana Gabaldon

 

 I include the following Celtic blessing and I ask guests to repeat each line after me – as well as including the guests in the ceremony, it also brings a sense of ritual that can, otherwise, be missing/missed from a naming ceremony.

CELTIC BLESSING – anonymous

Your name is …,

Welcome to the world!

May the strength of the wind and the light of the sun,

The softness of the rain and the mystery of the moon

Reach you and fill you.

May beauty delight you and happiness uplift you,

May wonder fulfil you and love surround you.

May your step be steady and your arm be strong,

May your heart be peaceful and your word be true.

May you seek to learn,

May you learn to live,

May you live to love,

And may you love – always.

 

However, the same can be done with this poem:

 

FRIENDSHIP – anonymous

May you know the gift of friendship

Feel the sun upon your face

May you win displaying dignity

And accept defeat with grace

May you wonder at the wonders

Of nature and the earth

May you value education

And know your own true worth

May you live and love with honesty

And do the thing that’s right

May you stand up for the helpless

And sleep in peace at night

May you thrive upon a challenge

And sing and dance and laugh

May you know the joy of parenthood

And follow your own path.

 

Or this one:

 Welcome

Welcome to sunlight
Welcome to the soft rain on your face

Welcome to the rush of the wind
Welcome to the hush of the sea

Welcome to much joy and a little sorrow
Welcome to birdsong

Welcome to music and laughter
Welcome to the leaves on the tree

Welcome to the miracle of words
Welcome to the whispering of rivers

Welcome to dreaming
Welcome to everything you can see and name

Welcome to your mother’s care
Welcome to your father’s smile

Welcome to the love of all here
Welcome to the world

By Selina Denton

 

 

  

Other Readings

 

An extract from THIS WORLD, MY HOME by Kenneth L. Patton

 

“Nothing is strange to a child for whom everything is new.

Where all things are new nothing is novel.

The child does not yet know what belongs and what does not; therefore for him all things belong.

The ear of a child is open to all music.

His eyes are open to all arts.

His mind is open to all tongues.

His being is open to all manners.

In the child’s country there are no foreigners.”

 

 

WISHES – anonymous

Wishing you many smiles and happy times to come.

May life’s adventures be exciting and sweet

Filled with love from the friends that you’ll meet

You’ll soon grow up for time does fly

So cherish each moment as it goes by

From crawling and walking,

To toddling and talking

There’s no knowing what you’ll do next

There’s a threshold to cross and a wide open door

And a wonderful world for you to explore

Sleep with the moonbeams and play in the sun

Let your life be a long one and filled with fun

May today and tomorrow and all days hereafter

Be days that are happy and filled with your laughter.

Love the earth and sun and the animals, despise riches, give alms, stand up for the stupid and crazy, devote your income and labour to others, hate tyrants, have patience and indulgence toward the people, take off your hat to nothing known or unknown or to any man or number of men, read in the open air every season of every year of your life,  re-examine all you have been told by school or church or by any book, dismiss whatever insults your own soul; and your very flesh shall be a great poem.

By Walt Whitman

 

WHAT WE ARE by Frances G Wickes:

No-one is born a new being. S/He bears in his psyche the input of past generations. He is a combination of ancestral units from which a new being must be fused, yet he also bears within him an essential germ, a potential of a unique individual value. The discovery of this unique essence and its development is the quest of consciousness.

The Second Time Around by R Styles

You forget, don’t you?
That moment when you thought –
and maybe even whispered ‘Never again!’
You forget just how tiny they are when they’re born.
Everybody says so.
You forget that they don’t do much to start off with
– except the never-ending routine of bodily functions.

First time round this was a relief
Giving time for much needed rest and recuperation.
No such luck the second time around
With the other child rushing around demanding attention.

Everybody says it is not the same with the second baby
And in a way they are right
You’ve done it before
You know what to expect – more or less!

And yet they are wrong
Because although it’s not the same
It’s every bit as special
Because yet again, you have a unique child
And no matter how hard you try to treat your children the same
They’ll grow up to be different individuals.

And love is just as sweet
The second time around.

What is a Boy

A boy is an explorer from his early days,
Who finds fun and adventure in the most surprising ways.
He’s a builder of wooden blocks,
A Climber of trees,
A teller of jokes and stories,
With a grin that sure to please

He’s a friend of little creatures,
Like puppies, frogs and bugs,
He’s a player of almost any game,
A winner of hearts and hugs.

He’s a dreamer of great dreams,
The futures hope and joy.
He’ll bring you worlds of happiness,
That wonderful little boy.

Love the earth and sun and the animals, despise riches, give alms, stand up for the stupid and crazy, devote your income and labour to others, hate tyrants, have patience and indulgence toward the people, take off your hat to nothing known or unknown or to any man or number of men, read in the open air every season of every year of your life,  re-examine all you have been told by school or church or by any book, dismiss whatever insults your own soul; and your very flesh shall be a great poem.

Walt Whitman

 

ROOTS And WINGS by Denis Waitley

If I had two wishes, I know what they would be

I’d wish for roots to cling to, and wings to set me free;

roots of inner values, like rings within a tree,

and wings of independence to seek my destiny.

Roots to hold forever to keep me safe and strong,

to let me know you love me, when I’ve done something wrong;

to show me by example, and help me learn to choose,

to take those actions every day, to win instead of lose.

Just be there when I need you, to tell me it’s alright,

to face my fear of falling when I test my wings in flight;

Don’t make my life to easy, it’s better if I try,

And fail and get back up myself, so I can learn to fly.

If I had two wishes, and two were all I had,

And they could just be granted, by my Mum and Dad;

I wouldn’t ask for money any store-bought things,

the greatest gifts I’d ask for are simply Roots and Wings.

Your children are not your children.
They are the sons and daughters of Life’s longing for itself.
They come through you but not from you,
And though they are with you, yet they belong not to you.
You may give them your love but not your thoughts.
For they have their own thoughts.
You may house their bodies but not their souls,
For their souls dwell in the house of tomorrow, which you cannot visit, not even in your dreams.
You may strive to be like them, but seek not to make them like you.
For life goes not backward nor tarries with yesterday.
You are the bows from which your children as living arrows are sent forth.
The archer sees the mark upon the path of the infinite, and He bends you with His might that His arrows may go swift and far.
Let your bending in the archer’s hand be for gladness;
For even as He loves the arrow that flies, so He loves also the bow that is stable.

Children Learn by What Is Lived

by Dorothy Law Nolte.

If children live with criticism, they learn to condemn.

If children live with hostility, they learn to fight.

If children live with ridicule, they learn to be shy.

If children live with shame, they learn to feel guilty.

If children live with tolerance, they learn to be patient.

If children live with encouragement, they learn confidence.

If children live with fairness, they learn justice.

If children live with security, they learn to have faith.

If children live with acceptance and friendship,

They learn to find love in the world.

A PARENT’S PRAYER

by David Axton

Now I lay me down to sleep,

I pray my sanity to keep.

For if some peace I do not find,

I’m pretty sure I’ll lose my mind.

I pray I find a little quiet,

Far from the daily family riot.

May I lie back and not have to think

About what they’re stuffing down the sink,

Or who they’re with, or where they’re at

And what they’re doing to the cat.

I pray for time all to myself

(did something just fall off a shelf?)

To cuddle in my nice, soft bed

(Oh no, another goldfish–dead!)

Some silent moments for goodness sake

(Did I just hear a window break?)

And that I need not cook or clean

(well heck, I’ve got the right to dream)

Yes now I lay me down to sleep,

I pray my wits about me keep,

But as I look around I know,

I must have lost them long ago!

 

 

You Are My I Love You

I am your parent you are my child

I am your quiet place, you are my wild

I am your calm face, you are my giggle

I am your wait, you are my wiggle

I am your audience, you are my clown

I am your London Bridge, you are my falling down

I am your Carrot Sticks, you are my licorice

I am your dandelion, you are my first wish

I am your water wings, you are my deep

I am your open arms, you are my running leap

I am your way home, you are my new path

I am your dry towel, you are my wet bath

I am your dinner you are my chocolate cake

I am your bedtime, you are my wide awake

I am your finish line, you are my race

I am your praying hands, you are my saving grace

I am your favourite book, you are my new lines

I am your nightlight, you are my sunshine

I am your lullaby, you are my peek-a-boo

I am your kiss goodnight, you are my I love you

By Maryann K Cusimano

Family

A family is a place to cry, laugh and vent frustrations,

To ask for help, tease and yell,

To be touched and hugged and smiled at.

A Family is people, who care when you are sad,

Who love you no matter what, and share your triumphs;

Who don’t expect you to be perfect,

Just to grow with honesty, in your own direction.

Family is a circle

Where we learn to like ourselves

Where we learn to make good decisions, and think before we do.

Where we learn integrity and table manners,

And respect for other people.

Where we are special, and share ideas.

Where we listen and are listened to.

Where we learn the rules of life

To prepare ourselves for the world

The world is a place where anything can happen,

 If we grow up in a loving family, we are ready for the world.

A Mothers Wish

I hope my child looks back on today

And sees a Mother who had time to play.

There will be years for cleaning and cooking,

But children grow up when you’re not looking.

Tomorrow I’ll do all the chores you can mention

But today, my baby needs time and attention.

So settle down, cobwebs, dust, go to sleep,

I’m cuddling my baby, and babies don’t keep.

A Tribute To All Daughters

by Helen Steiner Rice

Every home should have a daughter
for there’s nothing like a girl,
To keep the world around her
in one continuous whirl….

From the moment she arrives on earth,
and on through womanhood,
A daughter is a female
who is seldom understood….

One minute she is laughing
the next she starts to cry,
Man just can’t understand her
and there’s just no use to try…..

She is soft and sweet and cuddly
but she’s also wise and smart,
She’s a wondrous combination
of a mind and brains and heart….

And even in her baby days
She’s just a born coquette,
and anything she really wants,
she manages to get….

For even at a tender age
she uses all her wiles,
and she can melt the hardest heart
with the sunshine of her smiles.

Advice to My Child on Growing Up in Life

by Larry. S. Chengges.

You are unique, my child…. a wonderful addition to life for there is no one else like you.
You are important…believe it….know it.
Search your heart and be willing to try new things….Don’t be afraid to be different… follow your feelings and be proud..…be happy.
Reflect your feelings, your hopes and your dreams…. You have much to contribute and other people can learn from you. Take your time… and please, don’t hurry.
You must reach out and help others to grow… for the more you give, the more you receive.
Your time on earth is a measure of progress, year by year, for each year will present new and different opportunities…
Enjoy what is beautiful in life, my child, and try to achieve the highest goals in life… to love, to care, to give, to share.

 

Always Believe In Yourself

by Susan Polis Schultz

Get to know yourself –
What you can do and what you cannot do –
For only you can make your life happy.

Believe that by working, learning and achieving
You can reach your goals
And be successful.

Believe in your own creativity
As a means of expressing
Your true feelings.

Believe in appreciating life.
Be sure to have fun every day
And to enjoy the beauty in the world.

Believe in love.
Love your friends, your family,
Yourself and your life.

Believe in your dreams
And your dreams can become reality.