As Mother's Day approaches, we at The Giving Tree Gallery find ourselves reflecting on the deep and complex journey of motherhood—its joys, challenges, transformations, and the quiet strength it demands day after day. This year, we asked our team a simple but powerful question:
“If you could share one piece of wisdom with all the moms in the world, what would it be?”
The answers were as varied and rich as the women who offered them:
“You are enough. You are doing enough. And you should be proud of yourself.”
“Being a mom is a miracle, and you matter more than you know—every single day!”
“Moms have the most important job in the world, and the most rewarding. Keep up the good work and enjoy every minute of it.”
“Be present, not perfect.”
One response especially stood out—not just for its honesty, but for its lasting resonance:
“Kahlil Gibran’s ‘On Children’ was my saving grace during difficult parenting moments. It reminded me that my children are not mine to mold, but souls in their own right. Reading it helped reset and refocus my intentions, especially when I was overwhelmed or unsure."
For those unfamiliar, Gibran’s poem is a poetic anthem for parental humility and grace. “Your children are not your children,” he begins. “They are the sons and daughters of Life’s longing for itself.” It’s a call to both cherish and release—guiding without controlling, nurturing without clinging. Here is the poem in full:
On Children
by Kahlil Gibran
Your children are not your children.
They are the 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.
This sentiment is perfectly captured in one of our most beloved Spiritile - Schooling - #207:
Spiritile #207 – Schooling
“While we try to teach our children all about life, our children teach us what life is all about.” - William Saroyan
This Spiritile captures the circular journey of learning between parent and child—an echo of Gibran’s line, “You may strive to be like them, but seek not to make them like you.” It honors the idea that while we guide our children, they also guide us—back to wonder, simplicity, and growth.
Another great Spiritile that speaks to the quiet transition that happens over time—a mother releasing her child into the world, with hope and faith lighting the way is Fair Winds - #247:
Spiritile #246 – Fair Winds
“Life is a balance of holding on and letting go.” – Rumi
Like the archer in Gibran’s poem, we prepare our children, then trust in the trajectory of their becoming. Fair Winds is a tribute to that release—to letting go with love.
This Mother's Day, we hope you'll join us in celebrating not just the moms in our lives, but the wisdom they carry, the love they pour out, and the resilience they often don't know they have.
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