On Children

Wednesday, November 26, 2008

On Children
As we celebrate Thanksgiving, I am always aware of those gifts that I, personally, feel most thankful for. Our children. My life really began when I became a mother. I'm not certain that God made me with the capacity to change the world. But I believe with everything I am that my children will do just that.

Having said that, I thought I would share this excerpt from The Prophet, by Kahlil Gibran. I saw it hanging on the refrigerator of our youngest daughter's Godmother the other day and it brought tears to my eyes, right there in the middle of a birthday party. She was kind enough to send it to me so that I could share it here, hopefully touching the heart of someone else who may need to hear it right now.


On Children
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.


Happy Thanksgiving!

Posted by KC at 2:29 PM