你的孩子并不是你的孩子
她是生命因为对其本身的渴望而诞下的儿女
她借你而生但并非由你而生
虽然她与你为伴但却不归你所属
你可以给她你的爱但不可以给她你的思想
因为她有自己的思想
你可以庇护她的身体，但不可以收容她的灵魂
因为她的灵魂属于明天，一个你即使做梦也无法拜访的地方
你可以试图模仿她，但不可以要求她模仿你
因为生命不是倒行的，也不会在昨天的世界里逗留
孩子是从你这把弓上面射出的带着生命力的箭
射箭手能看到生命这条无穷尽的道路上的箭靶
用他的威力把你拉弯，这样他的箭才能射得迅速而遥远
请允许你自己在他手中幸福地弯曲
因为他在爱着那支自由飞翔的箭的同时，也深爱着那把坚定稳固的弓
- 卡里尔.纪伯伦
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.
– Kahlil Gibran (The Prophet (1955), pp.17-18)