Tuesday, February 15, 2005

         Arrrrrrrrrggggggggghhhhhhhh!!! AOL Journals system is driving me batty!!! The updates alerts and comments alerts are not working!!! I have do everything manually and I want to just say something really, really mean and nasty to whom it may concern! The system also cut my privilege to leave comments too... It works sometimes but most of the time it won't even let me get to the comment screen!!!!! Do I need a new computer or is AOL slacking?   

 

              Letting Children Grow...

                     

An excerpt from Kahlil Gibran's book, The Prophet, Chapter 4, on topic about 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 oftomorrow, 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 love all of Gibran's writings but I am very partial to The Prophet because of its timeless wisdom and poetic beauty. I particularly love the chapter above because as a mother of growing children, I am always looking for advice from the sages on how to let my children grow without letting them go.

 

12 comments:

Anonymous said...

That is such a cute picture!  :o)
~Sarah Flansburg
http://journals.aol.com/candles102/SarahFlansburgsPoliticalJournal

Anonymous said...

This really hit me hard... not in a bad way, just reminded me that I'm stable and the kids are just flying as far as they can.  My kids pulled some "adultness" on me over the holidays and I haven't heard from my daughter since.  She wants to be treated as an adult.  In the back of my mind I think, she needs to start acting as one.  Love this excerpt.  Thanks for sharing.

Anonymous said...

that's a wonderful passage.  very deep.  i am putting it on my checklist to read.  thanks. -=)

Anonymous said...

I think I'm supposed to read this book, this is like the fifth time I have come across it, in  word, tongue, or television.  My sister just read it and she said it sounded like one that I would love.

Derek

Anonymous said...

I loved this book!  I read it such a long time ago I think it needs to be revisited.

Anonymous said...

what a nice passage...i may have to read that book...my alerts are working tonight...woohoo!

linda
http://journals.aol.com/lindainspokane/LifewithLinny
http://journals.aol.com/lindainspokane/LinnysLuciousLickings

Anonymous said...

have you ever heard Sweet Honey in the Rock sing this passage?  if not, find it and listen.  i sang with a group for a while when we lived in Boston, and we sang Sweet Honey's arrangement of "Your Children."  it was a spiritual experience.  

Anonymous said...

I just thought of Derek when I read this because he just wrote of it in his journal and I was about to send him your link but saw that he commented.....what a coincidence....the writing is just beautiful...thankyou for sharing!

~JerseyGirl
http://journals.aol.com/cneinhorn/WonderGirl  

Anonymous said...

thanks so much for the link, I've been reading it all now, isn't the internet wonderful.  Hope you have a beautiful weekend!

Derek

Anonymous said...

I think everyone is having the same problems with aol.....
I loved the excerpt from THE PROPHET....unti tonight I have never seen this, and I loved it for all it's beauty and wisdom...
take care,
Carlene

Anonymous said...

I was having problems with leaving comments, too.  Wasn't just you!  lol

Anonymous said...

The Prophet is just incredible.  All of Gibran's writings are excellent but the Prophet just excells on so many levels. Thanks for sharing it.

dave