Wednesday, March 28, 2012

REGIFTING



I cannot say I entirely buy all stuff Gibran has written. This poem has, however, been important to me since I first read it in the early seventies.

On Children
Kahlil Gibran

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.

13 comments:

Mrs. Mac said...

I think that God the Father sending His one and only begotten Son to earth to save us from out sin was the ultimate in regifting :) .. what a lovely poem.

xxx C

Colleen said...

I do love Kahlil Gibran...his words always touch me deeply. Beautiful poem containing beautiful and true sentiments. Happy Easter Elise!:)

Temptress said...
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Crown of Beauty said...

I love the title of your post. Our children are gifts we have received, and which we give back in time. They are ours only for a season. But what an awesome opportunity.

This is a beautiful poem by Gibran.

Love your heart, dear Felisol.

Love
Lidia

Barbros lille verden said...

Dette er virkelig kloke ord, som ikke alltid er like lett å huske når man står der "in the heat of the moment" med vanskelige unger...eller vanskelige voksne?
Ha en riktig fin påske, håper lyktene dine ble bra!
Klem fra Barbro

Felisol said...

Hei, Barbro,
Det SKAL være vanskelig og utfordrende å være mamma. Da jentebarnet mitt vsr liten, slet jeg med 2 avd. spes. ped. samtidig. Det ble mye tilkortkomming. Fikk god trøst av bøkene og teoriene til Donald Winnicott:"A prime example of this is his concept of the "good-enough mother" - the 'ordinary devoted mother...an example of the way in which the foundations of health are laid down by the ordinary mother in her ordinary loving care of her own baby'.
Jeg tror vår kjærlighet og ekte vilje til å gjøre det gode virkelig er "good enough".
Flaskelyktene er ennå ikke blitt til mer enn tomflasker uten etikett og jakt på en gammel dymotape maskin i mannehyllene.
MEN jeg har stjålet en annen ide av deg. Fant en trekasse i barndomsheimen merket Ekte Sukat, som far hadde laget hyller i. Den står nå på kjøkkenbeken og holder orden på teboksene.. Takk for god ide.

Ann, Chen Jie Xue 陈洁雪 said...

Great poem, have a student called Sahill from Afghanistan.

Roan said...

Kahlil Gibran knows how to write poetry. Love this one.

Sorry I haven't been around much. We lost one of the girls in our office, so I'm working lots of extra hours.

Hope you and your family are all doing well.

❀~Myrna~❀ said...

I love this poem , it is so beautiful! It makes me happy & sad . Sad to see them leave & grow up , but also happy that they grow up & become their own person. I wish you and your Family a very Happy & Blessed Easter!

Amrita said...

Beautiful poem and photo Felisol

Annie Jeffries said...

One of my favorites, Elise. I thank God for the privilege of raising the two children He gave to us.

Amrita said...

My Dad gifted a book of Khalil Gibran to my Mom when they were newly married , unfortunately it was desoyed by the monsoon rain. I remember its beautiful paintings. I have another small collection

Amrita said...

Children are gifts from the Lord. Instruct and teah them the way of the Lord.

You have nutured your daughter so well, she is beautiful inside out.