"Your Children Are Not Your Children"

 
The Prophet

Kahlil Gibran


On Children

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 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.

I was on a plane when I saw a man reading this book.  I was attracted to the book although I did not know what it was.  A few days later I recognized the cover on Amazon.  It had over 200 5-star reviews so ordered it.

Kalil Gibran was a Lebanese poet, philosopher, theologian, writer and artist.  He is the third bestselling poet in history after Shakespeare and Laozi.  The Prophet was originally published in 1929 and is still very thought provoking.  I highly recommend this book for anyone striving to live their best life or looking for answers.

Comments

[Heidi Rafferty]

This was beautiful and thought provoking tonight. Thanks for the book recommendation. Im checking it out!

[Dee]

A piece of The Prophet was read at my oldest sons naming ceremony...just beautiful.

[Chap]

Im going to read this book...thank you

[BrooklynShoebabe]

My mom introduced me to The Prophet when I was young, and quoted it often. She still quotes whole passages from it. I think she has memorized the whole thing. We were recently talking about family and the holidays, and I was apologizing for wanting to stay close to home with my own children and husband. She said not to be sorry, and recited the passage you wrote above. Since I've become a mother, she recites me that passage often. My girls are only 1 and 3, and sometimes I get sad because they're growing up so quickly and will be soon shedding their mother to embark on the world.

[Mocha Dad]

I first read this book in college. Since then, I have purchased all of his writings. I still give The Prophet as gifts.

[Mahogany Chic]

@Heidi Rafferty Thanks for reading the post.

@Dee It is very beautiful. I have a girlfriend that read this book as a teenager in Honduras.

@Chap It is a good book.

@BrooklynShoebabe I had to remind myself of the passage when I said that my son can stay with me forever.

@Mocha Dad That is a good idea.

[Toni]

I love that!!!! So often in life we push our children to become what we want them to be and we forget that they have thier own thoughts, dreams, desires, and aspirations. We have to let them be who they are going to be. I'm going to check that book out. Thanks for the recommendation 8-)