December 10, 2011

I remember one Christmas. I received a gift, a book. As soon as I saw the cover, my eyes became filled with tears, and they began to run down my cheeks. There was something familiar about the author and its context. I didn’t know who he was but the image on the cover and the title made an extreme impact on me and I hadn’t even opened the book yet. I could feel warmth from the words reaching out beyond the cover. I felt strange inside, uneasiness was stirring. It was as if I had known him for many years and that we had shared a life together at one time. The sorrow that I felt was that of loss. I continued to weep.

Then my sister asked me to open the book to a page at random, and I did. There it was! The words that I needed to hear all my life were written right there on the fresh, pressed pages:

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. ~ Kahlil Gibran

A few Christmases past, one evening I received a film script from casting, requesting me to read it over and to come in for an audition. As I began reading the script, I found there were similarities to my own life. For one, the character’s favourite author was Kahlil Gibran. And there again I read those exact same words:

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.

Wow.

The irony of my whole story is that I received both a book and a script regarding the writings of Kahlil Gibran at Christmas time.

It is amazing to me how a Higher Power works its truth, beauty and awareness into our lives when we might think no one is watching or listening.

Tabatha is a former member of New West Writers. More about her on her profile page.

..