A Father’s Gift from a Daughter
雷蒙德·L.莫爾黑德/Raymond L.Morehead
To successfully raise any child these days is hard work, to say the least, and it is often both physically and mentally taxing for a mother and father.The fruit of this labor of love may not be seen for years after the child has left home and becomes a parent.There is no instruction manual or book of“what-ifs”that comes with each child when they are born, nor a timetable of what to do and when.Each day is a new challenge unto its own, where success is often marked in fractions of an inch rather than yards and miles.So how and when do we as parents know when we have had success?
My answer came on Father’s Day.To coin an old saying,“It’s not the gift but the thought that counts.”So it was on this day when I was given two craft boxes as gifts from my grown daughter, one the size of a cigar box and the other the size of a large ring box.“Daddy,”she said,“please sit with me on the floor like you did years before.”So we sat down upon the floor together and she handed me the first box.“Open it.”Inside was a letter and what appeared to be a child’s collection of odds and ends.“Daddy,”she said,“read the letter first.”
Dear Dad,
The older I get the more I realize what an important influence you’ve been in my life.So for Father’s Day I decided to give you two memento boxes, both filled with special memories and things I keep close to my heart, things that you once gave me.In the first and larger box you will find just a few of my special reminders of you and times we shared together just we two.
1.A pair of shoestrings tied with a bow.These are reminders of the hours you spent teaching me to tie my own shoes so long ago.
2.A Band-Aid, to remind me of all the scrapes and cuts you fixed on my elbows and knees teaching me to ride my first bike.
3.A wee storybook, for all the special made-up bedtime stories you read to us all at night.
4.A pack of a child’s learning flash cards, a symbol of your teaching me and helping me through my years of school even when I thought I knew it all.
5.A marble.I wish it was one of the ones you gave to me and I lost, from your special ones you played with when you were in school.
6.A sewing kit and a wee sewing machine reminds me of the real ones you gave me and on which you taught me how to sew.
7.A piece from my childhood blanket that you would always cover me up with each and every night.
8.A broken heart, symbol of all the broken hearts and heartaches you helped me through.
9.A silver dollar reminds me of all the times you gave me your last dollar when you least could afford to but knew in your heart when I really needed it the most.
10.A tissue.This is for all the times I cried on your shoulder and you dried up all the tears because you cared.
11.A leaf.A symbol of nature that you taught me to understand, enjoy and respect
12.One aspirin reminds me of all the headaches I must have given you and Mom over the years, yet you seldom complained.I know it should be a truckload if the truth be told.
13.A piece of candy, to let you know how sweet these memories are still to me.
14.Last but not least, a photo of my children and me, to remind me to teach my children all that you and Mom have taught me, and to share with them the love that only parents like you both have given to me.
I had tears in my eyes and an ache in my heart as she gave the second, smallest box to me.“Open it now, please.”she said.
Inside I found another note and in this one she wrote: Daddy,
In this box I was going to put all of what really made a difference to me.All of what it was that you gave me to make me what I am today.But if I gave it back to you then I would have the best part of me missing, which is all the love, hugs and kisses you gave me from the time I was born till now, and for which there is no box large enough.So I think I will hold on to these and share them with my children who I hope one day will understand what a wonderful gift they are to give and receive.I love you, Daddy, and Happy Father’s Day!
成功地撫養一個孩子長大是件艱辛的事，起碼對於父母來說，養育孩子會令他們身心俱疲。在自己的孩子離開家門、為人父母之前，這種愛的勞動成果或許在很多年裏都得不到收獲。在每個孩子出生時，並沒有什麽手冊或者“預測未來”的書跟隨他們而至，也同樣不會有一張寫著什麽時間做什麽事情的時刻表。每天都是一個新的挑戰，巨大的付出卻隻是獲得微不足道的成功。那麽，身為父母的我們，如何知道什麽時候獲得了成功呢？
我的答案在父親節這天不期而至。套用一句老話，那就是“禮輕情義重”。父親節那天，已長大成人的女兒送給我兩個盒子，其中一個盒子有煙盒般大小，另一個則與戒指盒差不多大。女兒對我說：“爸爸，請陪我一起坐在地板上吧，就像多年以前那樣。”於是，我們一起坐下來。她把第一個盒子遞給我，說道：“打開來看看。”盒子裏麵裝著一封信和一些似乎像是小孩子收集的零碎東西。女兒說：“爸爸，您先讀讀那封信吧。”親愛的爸爸：
隨著我年齡的增長，我愈加明白您在我生命中的影響有多麽重要。於是，我決定在父親節這天，送給您兩個具有紀念意義的盒子。裏麵都裝滿了我特別的記憶和珍藏的東西。那些都是您曾經送給我的。盛放在第一個大盒子裏麵的東西，會讓我回想起與您共同度過的美好時光。
1.用絲帶係著的一雙鞋帶。它們勾起了很多年之前您教我係鞋帶的記憶。
2.創可貼。它讓我回想起您教我第一次騎車時的情景。我的肘部和膝蓋都被擦傷了。這是您幫我貼在傷口處的創可貼。
3.袖珍故事書。這本書中的故事是特地為孩子們編寫的，您在每個夜晚，讀著故事伴我們入睡。
4.一遝兒童學習卡片。它們是您教授、輔導我學習的標誌。在我的學習生活中，您孜孜不倦地幫助我，甚至在我自認為無所不知時也是一樣。
5.一顆玩具彈球。我多麽希望它就是您送給我的那顆啊，可是我把它弄丟了。它的特別之處就在於，它是您上學時玩過的。
6.一個針線包和一架袖珍縫紉機。這讓我想起您教我做針線活，後來又教我使用縫紉機的一點一滴。
7.我童年時用過的一條毯子。我小的時候，您總是在每個夜晚把這條毯子蓋在我的身上。
8.一顆破碎的心。它代表著您陪我一起挺過的所有傷痛。
9.一枚銀色的硬幣。它讓我想到了，當您捉襟見肘時，您還是一次又一次將最後的一枚硬幣給我花。在您心裏，您知道我何時最需要。
l0.一張紙巾。多少次我伏在您的肩頭哭泣，你都會用一張紙巾將我所有的淚水擦幹，因為您愛我。
11.一片樹葉。它是您教我理解、享受、尊重大自然的象征。
12.一片阿司匹林藥片。這麽多年裏，每次頭疼，您和媽媽都會給我一片阿司匹林藥片。我讓您和媽媽操碎了心，可是你們卻很少有怨言。我知道，如果你們要抱怨的話，那些苦惱真的是一言難盡。
13.一顆糖果。我是想通過這顆糖果讓您知道，那些記憶在我的心裏還是那麽甜蜜。
14.最後一件，但並不是最不重要的一件，是我和我的孩子們的照片。它讓我記得，將您和媽媽教給我的東西教給我的孩子們；像您和媽媽給予我的愛一樣，把我的愛分享給他們。
淚花在我的眼中湧動，我充滿渴望地接過她遞給的第二個盒子——最小的那個。“爸爸，請把它打開吧。”女兒說。
我在這個盒子裏找到了另外一張字條，上麵是這樣寫的：爸爸：
我在這個盒子裏，放上了所有曾使我有所改變的東西。它們都是您曾給我的，它們鑄就了今天的我。但是如果我把這些歸還給您，那麽我將失去我最美好的東西。它們就是從我出生到現在，您曾給過我的全部關愛、擁抱和親吻。這些是任何盒子都裝不下的。於是，我想繼續保留著，並與我的孩子們一起分享它們，希望有一天他們可以明白，他們給予和收到了多麽美好的禮物。爸爸，我愛您。父親節快樂！
(1) challenge a.to consider worthy of high regard
(2) memento b.a stimulating task
(3) respect c.something that serves to remind
Write
TRUEif the statement agrees with the information
FALSEif the statement contradicts the information
_______(1) There are same things in the two boxes.
_______(2) The daughter knows how to love her children.
_______(3) The father didn’t quite understand the meaning of his daughter’s gifts.
1.To successfully raise any child these days is hard work,_________, and it isoften both physically and mentally taxing for a mother and father.
成功地撫養一個孩子長大是件艱辛的事，起碼對於父母來說，養育孩子會令他們身心俱疲。
2.The older I get_________I realize what an important influence you’ve beeninm y l i f e.
隨著我年齡的增長，我愈加明白您在我的生命中的影響有多麽重要。
3.In the first and larger box you will find just a few of my special reminder s ofy ou and times we_________just we two.
盛放在第一個大盒子裏麵的東西，會讓我回想起與您共同度過的美好時光。