給母親的祈禱
安·蘭德拉
親愛的上帝：
如今我已不再年輕，一些朋友的母親已經去世了。我曾聽這些兒女們說過，他們從沒有好好地向母親表示過他們的感激之情，而待到要告訴她們時又已經為時太晚。
幸運的是，我的母親依然健在。我對她的感激之情與日俱增。母親沒有變化，而我依然在變。隨著年歲與智慧的增長，我認識到她是一個傑出非凡的人。這些話在她面前我難以啟齒，但在筆下卻可以輕易地寫出來，這真令我感到難過。
一個女兒該怎樣開口來感謝她的母親所給予的生命?還有她在撫養孩子時所付出的愛、耐心以及辛勤勞動?還有她跟在蹣跚學步的孩子身後的奔跑，對情緒不定的少女的理解，以及對一個自以為是的大學生的寬容?還有她等待著女兒認識到她是一位良母的這一天?
一個成年女子該怎樣感謝母親依然故我地繼續著她母親的角色?為了在被問到時她準備好的建議，還有在需要時她的沉默?為了她沒有說“我告訴過你”而她本有機會說上許多次?為了她本人所具有的愛心、周詳、耐心與諒解?
我不知道該怎樣來表達，親愛的上帝，除了請求您好好地保佑她——那是她應該得到的——並幫助我朝她做出的榜樣看齊。我祈願在孩子的眼中我會如同母親在我眼中一般好。
——一個女兒
prayer for my mother
by ann landers
dear god,
now that i am no longer young, i have friends whose mothers have passed away. i have heard these sons and daughters say they never fully appreciated their mothers until it was too late to tell them.
i am blessed with the dear mother who is still alive. i appreciate her more each day. my mother does 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 plain hard work that go into raising a child? for running after a toddler, for understanding a moody teenager, for tolerating a college student who knows everything? for waiting for the day when a daughter realizes how wise her mother really is?
how does a grown woman thank a mother for continuing to be a mother? for being ready with advice (when asked) or remaining silent when it is most appreciated? for not saying, “i told you so,” when she could have uttered these words dozens of times? for being essentially herself —loving, thoughtful, patient, and forgiving?
i don not how, dear god, except to ask you to bless her as richly as she deserves and to help me live up to the example she has set. i pray that i will look as good in the eyes of my children as my mother looks in mine.
——a daughter