Short Non-Religious Reading for Child

thatgirl1

Just wondering if anyone has any nice short readings for a ten year old to read? I had our readings all picked out and FSIL changes her mind and says she'd rather have her daughter read one than her, and somehow I don't think she'll be able to manage (or if it will sound appropriate!!) for her to read 'He's not perfect - Bob Marley'!. I'll be keeping this reading and switching hers till the end - just need some ideas!!

rainbow kirby

From a PDF of non-religious readings I have here...

Native American Marriage Ceremony

May the sun bring you new energies by day

May the moon softly restore you by night

May the rain wash away any worries you may have

And the breeze blow new strength into your being.

And then, all the days of your life,

May you walk gently through the world

And know its beauty.

Now you will feel no rain, for each will shelter the other.

Now you will feel no cold, for each will warm the other.

Now you will feel no solitude, for each will company the other.

Now you are two persons but both will lead one life.

Go now to your dwelling to enter into the days of your life

And may your days be good and long upon this earth.

Oh the Places You'll Go – Dr Seuss

Congratulations! Today is your day.

You're off to Great Places! You're off and away!

You have brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes.

You can steer yourself any direction you choose.

You're on your own. And you know what you know.

And YOU are the couple who'll decide where to go.

You'll look up and down streets. Look 'em over with care.

About some you will say, "We don't choose to go there."

With your heads full of brains and your shoes full of feet,

you're too smart to go down, any not-so-good street.

And you may not find any you'll want to go down.

In that case, of course, you'll head straight out of town.

It's opener there in the wide open air,

Out there things can happen and frequently do to people as brainy and footsy as you.

And when things start to happen, don't worry. Don't stew.

Just go right along. You'll start happening too.

OH! THE PLACES YOU'LL GO!

You'll be on your way up! You'll be seeing great sights!

You'll join the high fliers who soar to high heights!

You won't lag behind, because you'll have all the speed.

You'll pass the whole gang, and you'll soon take the lead.

Wherever you fly you'll be best of the best.

Wherever you go, you will top all the rest.

Except when you don't. Because sometimes, you won't.

You'll get mixed up of course, as you already know.

You'll get mixed up with so many strange birds as you go.

So be sure when you step. Step with care and great tact

and remember that Life's a Great Balancing Act.

Just never forget to be dexterous and deft.

And never mix up your right foot with your left.

And will you succeed? Yes! You will indeed!

(98 and 3/4 percent guaranteed.)

KIDS, YOU'LL MOVE MOUNTAINS!

So, be your name Buxbaum or xxx or xxx

or Mordecai Ali Van Allen O'Shea,

you're off to Great Places!

Today is your day!

Your mountain is waiting.

So ... get on your way!

How Falling in Love is Like Owning a Dog,

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, no one is going to mess with you. Because crooks and

muggers think love is unpredictable. Who knows what love could do in its own defence?

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! Love makes messes. Love leaves you little surprises here and

there. Love needs lots of cleaning up after.

Sometimes love just wants to go out for a nice long walk, because love loves exercise. It will

run you around the block and leave you panting, breathless. Pull you in different

directions at once, or wind itself around and around you until you’re all wound up and you

cannot 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.

All I Really Need to Know I Learned in Kindergarten, by Robert L Fulghum

All I really need to know about how to live and what to do and how to be I learned in

kindergarten. Wisdom was not at the top of the graduate-school mountain, but there in the

sandpile at Sunday School. These are the things I learned:

Share everything.

Play fair.

Don't hit people.

Put things back where you found them.

Clean up your own mess.

Don't take things that aren't yours.

Say you're sorry when you hurt somebody.

Wash your hands before you eat.

Flush.

Warm cookies and cold milk are good for you.

Take a nap every afternoon.

Wonder. Remember the little seed in the Styrofoam cup: The roots go down and the plant

goes up and nobody really knows how or why, but we are all like that.

And it is still true, no matter how old you are - when you go out into the world, it is best to

hold hands and stick together.

Langston Hughes

Hold fast to dreams

For if dreams die

Life is a broken-winged bird

That cannot fly.

Hold fast to dreams

For when dreams go

Life is a barren field

Listen with snow.

thatgirl1

Thanks Rainbow Kirby, I love the one 'How falling in Love is like Owning a Dog', it's lovely as she's a real animal lover (you name the pet, she's had it!!). Would you think it's a little long, or would you say with a little bit of practice, she should be fine?

rainbow kirby

I think she should be fine with practice - younger children than her manage the readings at communions just fine! The language is relatively simple.

thatgirl1

True! I'll ask her and see what she thinks of it, thanks again!

Gatica

I think this one from Velveteen Rabbit is lovely:

http://www.todays-weddings.com/planning/readings/velveteen_rabbit.html

Milly33

Have to say Mr. Pooh says it all for me.. I have a lovely book at home fairy poems could take a look and see if there is anything in it

RainyDay

They're the words to an unreleased Mike Scott/Waterboys song called 'Endless Store'. I think it was played at rehearsals for This Is The Sea, and definitely at Windmill Lane but not apparently committed to tape in any kind of finished form.

"Fear is a black tower
Built by man,
Brick by brick and deed by deed.
It is the fuel on which our faint hearts feed.
Love is just a whisper
A breath and nothing more
But love will win
Because love is coming from an endless store"

Thanks to http://forums.delphiforums.com/waterboys/messages?msg=3795.1

haveringchick

rainbow kirby wrote: »

From a PDF of non-religious readings I have here...

I think all but the last one are much too long.

nosietoes

Our 10 year old niece is reading this

From Now We Are Six by A.A. Milne

A soul mate is someone who has locks that fit our keys, and keys to fit our locks. When we feel safe enough to open the locks, our truest selves step out and we can be completely and honestly who we are; we can be loved for who we are and not for who we're pretending to be. Each unveils the best part of the other. No matter what else goes wrong around us, with that one person we're safe in our own paradise. Our soul mate is someone who shares our deepest longings, our sense of direction. When we're two balloons, and together our direction is up, chances are we've found the right person. Our soul mate is the one who makes life come to life.

She read through it, said it was fine, and then Asked if she needed to memorised it! So very mature - it made me laugh.

Milly33

Oh that is nice!! Love his stuff I must say.... Very true