an excerpt from The Prophet:

last year, on nic's fifth grade promotion,

the kids sang a song to the parents

that was based on an excerpt of The Prophet

by Kahlil Gibran

i had never heard the song before

(but i got choked up listening to their sweet voices sing it.)

or of the book until yesterday

when a neighbor dropped it by.

the book is about a prophet who lives on an island for 12 years.

when the people discover that his ship is coming to take him back home,

they asked him to speak to them and "give them his truth."

(below i've included the page from the novel on children)

and you know full well i also have to include photos, 

so the ones here are from a recent trip to the CA coast.

we stayed with dear friends.

while we were there, 

a mob of 12-8 year old boys stayed and played together constantly.

included are some photos of them.

(mostly of them digging holes and tunnels and channels on the beach.)

*****

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.

the line in bold is my favorite.

you are the bows 

from which your children

as living arrows 

are sent forth.

there is an Archer,

and just as he loves the arrows that fly,

he also gives great care and attention

to the bow being bent.

the Archer will aim your arrows well.

***

for those who are parents:

remember, 

as school begins,

as your children grow

whatever comes in this year,

you are not alone.