"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, they belong not to you... 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 the bow that is stable."
"The Prophet" Kahlil Gibran
"The Prophet" Kahlil Gibran
3-D course with "God's daughter and mine" on the right
This may be the one of the most beautiful quotations that I have ever read. It reflects my desire to be that kind of parent and person. I have always known that my daughters were not mine. They came through me and amazed me everyday. You think that your children are an extension of yourself and realize quickly that, they are not. They are more. They are better. Your pride is actually surprise. Your love is your joy at what God is showing you, about one of His children. I have always said that I can be proud of my daughters, they are God's, not mine. He can take them back whenever He wants, and He does. In this quotation Kahil Gibran combines his theory about the relationship to your children with another of my passions, Archery. I knew when I went to Camp Maryhill that I loved to shoot. It was not until much later in my life that I had the opportunity to pick up a compound bow and shoot. It has taken a lot of practice, patience and determination, but I finally found something that I can do in the field of sports. I never was athletic, so I was excited to find something that I love. I never thought of myself as competitive. Imagine the surprise, at the eruption of emotion that comes up when I finally win. Woody asks me "I didn't think that you cared about winning?" with a sly smile. With a return sly smile, I tell him that I like beating my last score and that I like winning, I just don't like that it is at someone else's expense! Not exactly a warrior's attitude, but I am getting there. Stronger, as life slings arrows my way, and I've had to learn to sling back! I've had so many battles along the way. I am sure that they are no more or less, than anyone else's, but another lesson in not comparing. Another old saying that I love is "There will always be someone better off than you and someone worse off than you!" No room for pity or pride! Just a place to be, a level playing field. In the midst of the latest political and economic disaster in our country, I happened to pick up a newspaper and the article that popped off the page was about Somalia. Reports that the SEVEN year drought had driven women to walk for miles to find help. Some arrived after leaving other family members on the side of the road to die of starvation. They walked into the town with bloody feet, only to arrive with their child, dead in their arms. I can't imagine it, as I sit here in my air conditioned home, fat and sassy, with most of my family off enjoying life. I often feel guilty that I have been so blessed, so I try to balance my guilt with good deeds. I do what I can, and then leave it in God's hands, praying the "Serenity" prayer as I let it go, like an arrow flung from my bow. You raise your children, enjoy life's gifts and pleasures, deal with the hardships, appreciate what you have, stop complaining about what you don't have and stop feeling sorry for yourself. As the old archer told me, one time,"Grip it and rip it!"
900 Round
