The Guest House

This being human is a guest house.
Every morning a new arrival.
A joy, a depression, a meanness,
some momentary awareness comes
As an unexpected visitor.
Welcome and entertain them all!
Even if they’re a crowd of sorrows,
who violently sweep your house
empty of its furniture,
still treat each guest honorably.
He may be clearing you out
for some new delight.
The dark thought, the shame, the malice,
meet them at the door laughing,
and invite them in.
Be grateful for whoever comes,
because each has been sent
as a guide from beyond.
– Rumi

There is a growing audience of parents who want to draw their children off-screen back to books, but especially to works which subtly and enjoyably offer their offspring ideas which can help them navigate difficulties in their lives.  This Rumi poem, recast as a exquisitely illustrated story by one of the world’s top illustrators of children’s books, teaches us how to welcome hardships in our lives as guests and to see them as transformative opportunities.

This book offers an exciting way to introduce young people and their parents to a few of the key teachings of the world-famous Sufi poet Rumi (1207-1273), who is considered to be the best-selling poet in America today.