CRL   Toastmaster Club       Wednesday   June   21, 2000       – Pravin Shah

 Story     or   Joke   (   2min. )

I have   a poem which was   published in Ann Landers syndicated column .   I think it is very appropriate to   to-days theme   “ inventions “ and results of inventions. The reproduction process for human and other living beings is the most original invention and the results are the offspring,     our children. This poem    is from The Prophet   by Khalil Gibran   titled     “ On Children”   and   plainly   tells us to   let go easily   and graciously our children as they grow out   away from our cocoon.                                                                

“   On Children ”

“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 theybelong not to you.

You may give  them your love , but not our  thoughts. For they have their ownthoughts .

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  to 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  lies, so he loves also the   bow    that is stable. “