Fireside Chat: Parenting

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.[1]

As much as parents would like to be, they are not entirely in control of their children. A parent ideally does what he can to guide his son, leading him to have a better life than the Father lived. A parent attempts to provide the best education, quality of life, and love to ensure their children are cared for. A parent offers an excellent example for his son, so he will hopefully learn to do the same for his children. However, much like the arrow and bow, only one of these factors is entirely in the parent’s control. He may aim his son towards a good life, but the wind, rain, and trees of life can and will impact that shot. Children choose whether or not to take actionable advice from their parents, and should they fail to go their own way, parents should not blame themselves for it. Parents must realize they are not raising oysters; an oyster never makes a mistake because it has not the mind that would permit it to forsake an instinct. Parents must decide what they want their children to be, and children must decide whether or not to take advice from their elders.

[1] Kahlil Gibran, The Prophet (New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 2018), 18.