After Mom died, I began visiting Dad every morning before I went to work. He was weak and moved slowly, but he always had a glass of fresh orange juice on the kitchen table for me, along with a note saying, "Drink your juice." Such a gesture, I knew, was as far as Dad had been able to go in expressing his love. In fact, I remember, as a kid I had questioned my Mom: "Why doesn't Dad love me?" Mom asked, "Who said he doesn't love you?" "Well, he never tells me," I complained. "He never tells me either," she said, smiling. "But look how hard he works to take care of us, to buy us food and clothes, and to pay for this house. That's how your father tells he loves us. Do you understand?" I nodded slowly. I understand in my head, but not in my heart.
媽媽去世以后，我工作前每天都去看望爸爸。他很虛弱，并且行動緩慢，但是他總是在廚房的桌子上給我留一杯新鮮的橙汁，并且附著一個紙條：“喝杯橙汁吧。” 我知道，這個舉動是父親表達愛的一種方式。事實上，我記得小時候我問過媽媽為什么爸爸不愛我。媽媽說：“誰說他不愛你呢？” “恩，他從來沒有告訴我他愛我們”，我抱怨道。“他是從來沒有對我們說過，” 媽媽笑著說，“但是你知道他照顧我們有多辛苦嗎，為我們買食物和衣服，買我們出的房子。這就是你爸爸愛我們的表達。你懂了嗎？” 我慢慢地點點頭。我的大腦明白了，但是我的心沒有。
Many years later, after drinking the juice Dad prepared for me, I walked over and hugged him and said, "I love you, Dad." From then on I did this every morning. My father never told me how he felt about my hugs. Then one morning I hugged him extra hard, and said what I'd always wanted to. "You've told others you love me, but I never heard it from you." Dad looked uncomfortable. He seemed about to speak, then he shook his head. "Tell me!" I shouted. "All right! I love you!" Dad finally blurted. In that instant something occurred that I had never seen before: His eyes glistened, then overflowed.
很多年以后，在喝完爸爸為我準備的橙汁以后，我走過去抱著他說：“爸爸，我愛你。”從那以后，我每天早晨都這么做。我的父親沒有告訴我我擁抱他的感受。一天早晨，我擁抱他格外用力，然后說了我一直想說的。父親看上去并不輕松：“你告訴過別人你愛我，但是我從沒有聽你說過。” 他看上去正要說什么，但是他搖了搖頭。我大聲地說：“告訴我！”“好吧，我愛你！”爸爸終于最后說出來。那一刻我從未見過的情景出現了：爸爸的眼神閃爍，滿眼淚花。
I stood silent. Finally, after all these years, my heart joined my head in understanding. My father loved me so much that just saying so made him weep, which was something he never did in front of family. Mom had been right. Everyday Dad had told me how he loved me by what he did and what he gave...
我安靜地站在那里。終于，經過了這么多年，我的大腦和心都理解和感受到了愛。我的父親如此愛我以致于他一開口，就朦朧了雙眼。這些是從沒有在家人面前表現過的。媽媽是對的。父親每天都在表達愛，通過做和給予來詮釋。
評論
打印
