Treasure to share

Actually I have two treasures to share. The first one is on the pictures; my Mayke, a very bright and creative girl. Mayke just had two weeks of holiday. I miss the time we did things together. That doesn't happen a lot anymore. These days I drop her off at the movies or at her friends place or provide food and a bed for her friends. In six days time she is going to be 15 years old. Time flies. It is good however to see her getting independent and confident in finding her own way. Sometimes I would like to keep her with me forever though eventhough she is the most strong willed girl in the world. That brings me to the next treasure however.

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.