Khalil Gibran is a poet, philosopher, and artist…born in Lebanon (1883 – 1931). He is one on my favorite poets. My father introduced me to him when I was a child.
On the ocassion of Byron and Kenya’s baby shower today and because they asked me to offer a blessing or a prayer, I hope to share this poetic prose from Gibran at the gathering. It is from “The Prophet.” The Prophet of God, Almustafa, left these parting words of wisdom for the people of Orphalese before he returnd to his homeland :
“And a woman who held a babe against her bosom said, Speak to us of Children.
And he said:
Your children are not your children.
They are the sons and daughters of Life’s long 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 wich your children as living arrows are sent froth.
The archer sees the mark upon the path of the infinite, and He bends you with His might that His arrows may go swit 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.
Thank you. That was very timely for me. I am raising two sons, 15 and 11. Though I have read this passage before, I needed to read that now.
you are very welcome, chris. and i wish you all the best in raising the boys.
ars.