Pray for My Mother　为母亲祈祷

　　◎ Ann Landers

　　Dear God,

　　Now that I am no longer young, I have friends whose mothers have passed away. I have heardthese sons and daughters say they never fully¹ appreciated their mothers until it was too late to tellthem.

　　I am blessed with the dear mother who is still alive. I appreciate her more each day. My motherdoes not change, but I do. As I grow older and wiser, I realize what an extraordinary person she is.

　　How sad that I am unable to speak these words in her presence, but they flow easily from my pen.

　　How does a daughter begin to thank her mother for life itself? For the love, patience and just plainhard work that go into raising a child? For running after a toddler, for understanding a moodyteenager, for tolerating a college student who knows everything? For waiting for the day when adaughter realizes her mother really is?

　　How does a grown woman thank for a mother for continuing to be a mother? For being ready withadvice (when asked) or remaining silent when it is most appreciated? For not saying “I told youso”, when she could have uttered these words dozens of times? For being essentially² herself—loving, thoughtful, patient, and forgiving?

　　I don’t know how, dear God, except to bless her as richly as she deserves and to help me live up tothe example she has set. I pray that I will look as good in the eyes of my children as my motherlooks in mine.

　　A daughter

　　亲爱的上帝：

　　如今我不再年轻，一些朋友的母亲已经去世。我曾听这些子女说过，他们从没有向母亲充分表达过他们的感激之情，而待到要告诉时为时已晚。

　　幸运的是，我亲爱的母亲依然健在。我对她的感情与日俱增。母亲没有变，而我却变了。

　　随着年岁的增长，我越来越懂事了，我意识到她是多么了不起的人。这些话在她面前我难以启齿，但在笔下却可以轻易地写出来，这令我感到多么难过。

　　一个女儿该怎样开口感谢她的母亲所给予的生命？感谢她在抚养孩子时所付出的爱、耐心以及无私的辛勤劳动？感谢她跟在蹒跚学步的孩子身后奔跑，对喜怒无常的少女的理解，以及对一个自以为是的大学生的宽容？感谢她等待女儿认识到她真是一位好母亲的一天？

　　一个成年女子该怎样感谢母亲依然如故的角色？感谢在被问到时她会及时提供良言，而在不需要时她会保持沉默？感谢她没有说“我告诉过你”，而她本来可以说上许多次？感谢她始终不变的爱心、体贴周到、耐心与宽容？

　　我不知道该怎样来表达，亲爱的上帝，除了请求你好好地保佑她——那是她该得到的——并帮助我朝她做出的榜样看齐。我祈祷，在孩子的眼里我会如同母亲在我眼里一般好。

　　一位女儿

 

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