Friday, February 13, 2009

Friday the 13th

For a few moments on the walk to work I felt happiness rise and fall around me. I'd forgotten how that felt, just being glad to be alive after a long winter. I could feel something tangible, like love, like arms around me and thought of Jesse, felt that he was ok somehow, that we were all ok for now, and that I could make it just a little farther. And I heard a song that used to make me cry, but it made me smile to think of Jesse going on his way through whatever is next for him. And I don't know, I don't.

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. --Khalil Gibran

6 comments:

  1. Iso - thank you for posting that Gibran quote! I love that. And today I needed it.

    I am working with a woman in Al-Anon who is trying to recover from the family disease. She gets consumed by a rage, and it comes up sometimes and overtakes her. And she has hurt her children.

    So she is distraught. It is a powerful moment to be the one who is witnessing the honesty and pain of another.

    Kalil Gibran reminds me that her child is a bigger, stronger and more universal child. And that there is hope here.

    I also offer this song - I love it. It makes me cry, it makes me think of my kids.

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qrctC6t0v4s

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  2. Iso-

    I hate to put this here - you can delete it - but I was wondering if the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society Team In Training is the same organization that Jesse's friend did the bike race for?

    I'm asking because a friend of mine is training for a marathon in San Diego and raising money. I wanted to see if it was the same thing.

    Cindy

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  3. Hey, no problem, it's relevant. Yes, Team in Training is part of LLS, and my friend Peach is the person who was racing for them in the Arizona Century for the last two years. Also, Jesse's friend Alex Corrigan ran the Chicago Marathon through them, and my friend Karlene Dormer did the Disney marathon the same way. They're a good group.

    Right now I'm working on developing The Jesse Smith fund at Fordham, which is geared toward getting Social Work and Law students together to train for helping children caught in the legal system.

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  4. Oh that's great!! I would like to contribute to her marathon efforts, but will do so in Jesse's name.

    My email is artandsoulfoundation@hotmail.com and if you ever need to get me you can email me there.

    Keep me posted on your efforts. I will be glad to donate. Also, I am plugged in to a couple of networks that publish opportunities to donate -- I'll post it there as well.

    Peace.

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  5. Iso-

    Here is the note I got back from my friend:

    "Dear Cindy, thanks for letting me know about your "honor marathoner" as well. I will keep Jesse Smith with me on my runs as I train and for the marathon as well. It is great inspiration! My condolences for your friend's loss and sorrow."

    She was my camp counselor when I was in 7th and 8th grade. I found her through Google after 35 years. She is an awesome woman - she was inspirational to me then. And now.

    Love,

    Cindy

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  6. A&S that's wonderful, thanks for passing that along.

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