Your children are not your children.
你的子女，其實不是你的子女。
They are the sons and daughters of Life's longing for itself.
他們是生命對於自身渴望而誕生的孩子。
They come through you but not from you，and though they are with you, yet they belong not to you.
他們借助你來到這個世界，卻非因你而來，他們陪伴你，卻並不屬於你。
You may give them your love but not your thoughts. For they have their own thoughts.
你可以給予他們你的愛，卻不是你的想法。因為他們有自己的思想。
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.
你可以庇護的是他們的身體，卻不是他們的靈魂，因為他們的靈魂屬於明天，屬於你在夢境中也無法達到的明天。
You may strive to be like them, but seek not to make them like you.For life goes not backward nor tarries with yesterday.
你可以拼盡全力，變得像他們一樣，卻不要讓他們變得和你一樣。因為生命不會後退，也不在過去停留。
You are the bows from which your children as living arrows are sent forth.
你是弓，兒女是從你那裡射出的箭。
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.
弓箭手遙望未來之路上的箭靶，用盡力氣將你拉開，使箭射得又快又遠。
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.
懷著快樂的心情，在弓箭手的手中彎曲吧，因為他愛一路飛翔的箭，也愛無比穩定的弓。
(Khalil Gibran)
所謂父女母子一場，只不過意味著，你和他的緣分就是今生今世不斷地在目送他的背影漸行漸遠。你站在小路的這一端，看著他逐漸消失在小路轉彎的地方，而且，他用背影默默地告訴你，不用追。
——龍應台《目送》
