Children - Kahlil Gibran

This is one of my favorite poems by Kahlil Gibran, a Lebanese-American poet and artist who lived in the 1920s. He is well-known for his 1923 book, The Prophet, an early example of philosophical essays written in poetic English prose.
This particular essay is about children - how they come to us, through us and they spread their wings to fly into the world.
I have always liked the way in which he describes the whole process of Parenting with Awareness.

"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, so 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 the bow that is stable."

Beautiful, isn't it?
Makes one wonder if Kahlil Gibran had kids of his own :))

After reading this, do give your kid / kids an extra long hug for being with you everyday...
In Peace,
Asha