On Children | Khalil Gibran Poem

Here's a wonderful poem by the great Kahlil Gibran from his work "The Prophet". Hope you enjoy!

Gibran Kahlil Gibran (January 6, 1883 – April 10, 1931) , usually referred to in English as Kahlil Gibran, was a Lebanese-American writer, poet and visual artist, also considered a philosopher although he himself rejected the title.

Transcript

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.

Reviews

A beautiful mind written so deeply simple. And food for thought on how we raise our children… “do not tell them your thoughts…” never made so much sense. I recommend all parents take a listen - much simpler than webinars on how to tame your unruly kids

Message received. Right on time. Thank you. I appreciate the introduction through your presence here to more works!