Friday, February 26, 2010

Children

This is one of Kahlil Gibran's from his noted work "The Prophet". The words make so much sense and were written at a time when probably these thoughts were considered radical. Many nations still have not progressed to a mental level where they can let their children be; with their own thoughts, dreams, notions, emotions and act on them without the iron clad ruling of the head of the family. Still many a children bend to the will of the family head, lest it be seen that in following their hearts' desires they are being termed ungrateful and disrespectful. The fact that each has his own destiny, his own path and his own life to lead is not a welcome prospect in many a families worldwide.


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.



3 comments:

May said...

Great post....beautiful words.

Divya said...

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.


beautifully said :)

Divya said...

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.


beautifully said :)