Where did the "if you love someone let them go..." proverb originate? Is it attributed to an author?

Question

I had been under the impression for quite some time that the saying, "If you love somebody, let them go, for if they return, they were always yours. And if they don't, they never were." was attributed to Kahil Gibran. But is that the correct author? We've all heard this lil' bittersweet wisdom at least once in our lives. However, where did that quote originally come from? Is it just a proverb from antiquity or is there an author to attribute to?

Answer 1

At some past time, there was someone who thought, realized and wrote it.

In recent years (at least 30), it has become a halmark for so many.

I almost don't ever want to know who originated it.  What if he/she wasn't - - - - what I hoped for?

Answer 2

Not Gibran.

In fact, this was a popular quote on a poster in the 60s. I don't recall to whom it was attributed on the poster, but a quick Web search turned this up:

If you love something let it go free. If it doesn't come back, you never had it. If it comes back, love it forever.

---Doug Horton

What a Web search doesn't turn up is info on who this guy is. I found several entries saying he is an author, and dozens more aphorisms (proverbs?) but there's not a book on Amazon by him. Also, there's an entry on him in Wikipedia that was voted to be deleted.

See links below.

WHO IS DOUG HORTON?!?