I've enjoyed reading everyone's responses to the Listserve over the last 4 years. I'm a big subscriber to the theory that someone has probably said whatever you want to say better than you have... so I'll leave you all with my favorite poem.
On Children -- 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.
As an extremely side note (since the prospect of emailing tens of thousands of people doesn't come everyday): one of my biggest passions is sports analytics, mostly with the NBA or the NFL. If you or someone you know is doing interesting work, I would love to hear about it and collaborate! Email me @ [email protected].
Rohan
New York
[email protected]