Bow and Arrow

I have a little book on the shelf that I've never read, but I heard it referenced the other day so I decided to get it down.

And a woman who held a babe against her bosom said, Speak to us of Children.
And he said:
Your children are not your children.
They are 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.

The book is The Prophet by Kahlil Gibran.  Like I said, I haven't read much of it, so I don't know if the woman is talking to God himself or a prophet who is relaying the message.  Either way I like the message.  It speaks to me.  From the bio on the back of the book, I'm guessing the author has very different faith than mine--it's still a great message.  I accept it.  I'm okay being a bow.