A relevant quote about the role of parents

[Guest guest]

I also belong to a Yahoo! support group for the adult children of narcissistic

pd parents because my nada has bpd (diagnosed) and many npd traits. The home

page of that Group has this quote and it just seems to be useful and relevant to

the adult children of borderline pd parents as well, so I thought I'd share it:

" 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. "

-Kahlil Gibran

That quote says to me in a very poetic way, that children are not objects or

possessions or mere extensions of their parents. Children are not put here on

earth for their parents to exploit or misuse, to latch onto and suck dry.

Instead, its the parents' prime directive (to use a Star Trek analogy) to put

their child's needs first, and guide and nurture their child to be as

self-actualized, confident, joyful, productive and good an individual, unique

adult human being as they can be.

-Annie