On Children by Kahlil Gibran

As we head back to school. I thought this was a great poem to share about children.

"On Children" from The Prophet by 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 are 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.

Words to Live By: Warrior's Reminder

I am awake
My mind is free
I am Creative
I love Myself
My willpower is strong
I am Brave
I practice patience
I don't judge folks
I give, not to receive
I don't expect
I accept
I listen more than I talk
I know I'll change
I know you'll change
I'll hold on one more day
I start over when necessary
I create My own situations
I am cosmic
I don't have the answers
I desire to learn
I am the plan
I am strong
I am weak
I want to grow

I know I will

I take on responsibility

I hide myself from no one

I'm on My path
Warriors walk alone
I won't let my focus change

Taking out the demons in My range

that's mama's gun

~ Erykah Badu

Many of you may remember this poem from the cd insert for Mama's Gun. I love its profound simplicity.

Lesson Learned - BlessThat Food!

During Peace Corps training in Africa we lived with host families. When my fellow volunteers and I arrived in our village our families threw celebrations in our honor. I was so happy because another volunteer named Karen was living right next door to me. During my exploration of my new home, I walked to the backyard and saw a goat in Karen's yard. I thought wow, they have a pet goat. Moments later I looked on as some men walked over and slaughtered the goat. I was so naïve.
For a long time whenever I witnessed a slaughtering, I sympathized with the animal. I think it was easy for me to do this because I wasn't eating it (remember I don't eat red meat). It wasn't sustaining me. I was disconnected from it.
All of this came full circle for me at a party with my new in-laws [My Namibian hubby and I got married in Africa]. The men were slaughtering a goat when my sister in law, Nat, came over to me and told me that it wasn't cool to act disgusted by the sight of a slaughtering. I hadn't intended to act like that. I even tried to put up a brave front, but I guess my face showed it all. She told me that it was part of their tradition, and that they slaughter the animals expertly and humanely. That they use the animal in its entirety, not letting anything go to waste. If they didn't have this meat in the Kalahari Desert where we lived, they would starve. Nat led me to a very powerful realization that day. I was uncomfortable because I was not just disconnected from the animals they were slaughtering, but also from my own food.
I was used to going to the supermarket, and buying a cellophane-wrapped package with pink meat in it labeled chicken. Of course I knew it was a chicken, but had no real connection, nor respect for the animal. I didn't know, didn't want to know, nor care where it came from. I would hear horror stories about the treatment of the animals, but remained in complete denial. Now, faced with this new reality, I knew I needed to be more informed.
Now I make sure I educate myself on where my food comes from, and consider how that animal was treated. Along with this, it is of the utmost importance to me to slow down and give thanks to my food. It was once a living breathing animal or thriving plant, and now it has given over its energy so that I can have energy. That is the ultimate sacrifice.
Food is one of the only true necessities for our survival, how can we take it so lightly?
~Riss