How do you feel towards your parents? Are you an adult, yet still feel negatively affected by difficult experiences in your family of origin?
Here’s a poem to get the conversation started. Dr. Kathianne Lewis of Center for Spiritual Living Seattle wrote it as a complement to Khalil Gibran’s poem on children in The Prophet. (Here’s a link to the original poem with some good discussion).
Speak to Us of Parents by Kathianne Lewis
Your parents are not your parents.
They are the channels through which life recreated Its self.
You came through them, but not from them,
And though they may still be with you, you do not belong to them.
You may receive their love, but not their thoughts, for their thoughts are from their time.
New thoughts must be generated within you now for this time and this place.
For life does not go backwards or become trapped in yesterday.
You are the product of generations upon generations of human kind longing to give their children a better life than they had.
You have done nothing by yourself, even if it may have seemed so,
For the prayers and petitions of millions of mothers crying out to the Infinite to bless and protect their children have been heaped upon you.
And the pride and faith of millions of fathers in their offspring continue to inspire you at a deep cellular level.
Don’t let their prayers and faith be in vain —
Receive with humble acceptance the blessing of the Ancients and then be sure to pass it on.
What do you think about this? What thoughts or feelings does it bring up for you? Our relationships with our parents can be complicated, to be sure. Stay tuned for part 2, as I write about some of the themes that this poem brings up. Make sure to sign up for my newsletter for updates and the latest about this and other topics!
If you would like to feel more emotionally free from difficult family patterns or if you’d like to work on your relationship with your parent(s) or family and are feeling stuck, click HERE to learn about working with me!
Wishing you emotional freedom and satisfying connections,
Katie