Erin Watson Gives a Toast

Ba-ruch a-tah A-do-nai E-lo-hei-nu Me-lech Ha-o-lam, ha-mo-tzi le-chem min ha-a-retz. A-a-men. Blessed are You, HaShem, our God, Ruler of the Universe, who brings forth bread from the earth.	Laurie Abrams Leads the  Breaking of the Bread
Lisa Nau Sings for Skylar	When you walk through a storm hold your head up high and don't be afraid of the dark At the end of the storm is a golden sky and the sweet silver song of the lark Walk on through the wind walk on through the rain though your dreams be tossed and blown... Walk on walk on with hope in your heart and you'll never walk alone! You'll never walk alone... From Carousel, by Rodgers and Hammerstein

                   

The Gift Ceremony   With a handful of petals or leaves released on the tide so we offer to Skylar our own special gifts either spoken aloud or treasured in the heart given with unconditional love to be taken in hand or left to drift to be used as his choice and need lead him aware of our love, we who surround him today and support him for his sake, not ours.

                            

Skylar,   Today we celebrate you in this ritual of love. And though you may not understand me now, no matter, for much of today’s lesson is for us, your family, those of us here today, and many who are not. Today we recognize that we are your family, but you are not ours, Skylar. Your mind and your body are your own territory and you are a child of this amazing universe, like the soil, fire, ocean and air.   Your parents wanted to bring life into the world and you came out ear first, wide-eyed, and many of us were loving you already, and thinking about your journey and hoping for your safe arrival and praying imagining dreaming for you.   Today we declare that we continue to think, dream, imagine the best for you and we will look to see the best in you as you see fit to live your life because we are your family, but you are not ours, Skylar.   May we always open our hearts, our minds, and our hands to you: to love you all our lives, and may you live and feel and recognize the amazing nature of inhabiting a body, of thinking of dreaming, and of creating your world and yourself every single day. -- amy rasmussen