As it is Sunday, and I had a late night attending the wedding of two very special young friends, I thought I’d add one of the readings from their wedding, which I found deeply moving and personally very meaningful. It is from Captain Correllis Mandolin, by Louis Bernieres.

“Love is a temporary madness. It erupts like an earthquake and then subsides. And when it subsides you have to make a decision. You have to work out whether your roots have become so entwined together it is inconceivable that you should ever be apart. Because this is what love is.

Love is not breathlessness, it is not excitement, it is not the promulgation of promises of eternal passion. That is just being “in love” which any of us can convince ourselves we are. Love itself is what is left over when being in love has burned away, and this is both an art and a fortunate accident.”

This young couple, Ellie and Marty, are like family to us, and Marty is one of my ‘other sons’. I love him and his beautiful new bride Ellie, and also our ‘two other sons’ – Kent and Michael, and their partners Jo and Lauren, who were there last night too. I don’t really have the words to express just how much I love them, and how proud and honoured I feel to be a part of their lives.