I know you enjoyed an early breakfast； and I’ve got all your favorites。 Most of the world drinks coffee or tea in the morning。 You drank soda：“Coke—a—Cola。” as you called it。 You told me it was a Southern custom。 I never believed that for a moment； even though you were born and raised in Virginia。 I think you needed a sugar high to start the day。 It was a tough choice； but I decided on the peanut butter crackers for the main course—handmade； not the packaged ones； spread one at a time straight form the jar and pressed together like an Oreo cookie。
生日的承诺（3）
The birds have started to sing outside； and the sun is announcing the beginning of another new day。 Right about now； you would have turned on your radio and tuned into your favorite radio station。 Here goes！。。。 Guess what？ They’re playing one of your favorite songs。 “Thad Old Black Magic。 ”
Peanut butter isn’t all that bad in the morning！Do you remember when you used to feed my German shepherd peanut butter crackers？ How she loved you for that！ The peanut butter would get stuck to the roof of her mouth and made her look like she was smiling。 You always had such a way with animals。
That brings to mind the time my beloved parakeet； Buckeye Bird； flew into the frying pan while you were cooking breakfast。 I warn’t supposed to let him out of his cage； but I had； and he burned his feet。 I thought you’d be so mad at me。 but all you could think about was getting medical attention for that poor bird。 The pharmacist thought you were nuts when you asked what brand of antibiotic cream he would remend to rub on a parakeet’s feet。
Speaking of funny animal stories； do you recall when my pet hamster； Brownie； got stuck in the dryer hose？ You called Sears； where you’d purchased the clothes dryer； to ask how we might get him out of the predicament。 They told you to turn on the machine； and the initial thrust of air would push him through。 We did； and Brownie the Hamster Cannonball flew through the air。 Daddy caught him in his baseball glove。 It was hard to believe； but the exploding hamster lived to see another day！
Which reminds me。。。 do you recollect the time I blew up the stove while trying to earn my Girl Scout cooking badge？ It took a year for my eyebrows and eyelashes to grow back。 You slept with me that night and told me that it warn’t my fault。 Still； it was a long time before you left me alone in the kitchen。
I never told you this before； but after my baking fiasco； your own dear mother shared with me a secret about the pressure cooker she’d given you as a wedding gift。 The first time you used it； you’d set the timer to“high” and your chicken dinner became part of the kitchen light fixture。 Grandma told me it took Daddy a week to scrape it off the ceiling。 At least I only lost facial hair。
Your mother must not have criticized you； because you never lectured or punished me for all the foolish things I did through the years。 You said that everything was a learning experience and that as a child I had an active imagination and marched to my own drummer。
I think I’m still that way； Mom。 And that is exactly what I try to focus on when your two granddaughters are yanking my chain。 They’re doing fine； but they miss you。 Both of them keep a photo of you in their living rooms。 The great…grandchildren； all five of them。 will never forget their “Nana Virginia。”书包 网 。 想看书来
生日的承诺（4）
You were always so proud of my girls。 You never missed a chance to tell me what a good job I was doing in bringing them up。 I want you to know how much your saying that meant to me and that I couldn’t have done it without you。
Your granddaughters both have your tenderness and your tenacity。 I remember the time the oldest one decided to run away from home。 She announced over dinner that she was leaving to go live with her grandparents； six blocks away； because I was much “too mean。” I wanted to lock the kid in her room。 You suggested that I let her work it out on her own； that it would be a learning experience。 She packed such a heavy suitcase； she made it just three blocks before she collapsed in front of the neighborhood bakery。 The owner drove her home in the bread truck and gave her a dozen doughnuts。 He still looks at me in a funny way。
Mom； do you think the lesson she learned that day was to always pack light when traveling a distance？ It worked； though。 She was too tired to recall why she was angry and too full of ideally doughnuts to care。
Recently； your other granddaughter was looking at all the pictures you’d taken when the two of you had traveled together。 I’d forgotten how many countries you’d visited over the years。 I do remember； like it was yesterday； the call got saying that you had to cut short your Hawaiian vision because you’d been hand by a surfboard on the beach at Waikiki and received twenty stitches in your leg。 Your granddaughter stayed up all night and tended to your needs。 In the morning； she made all the flight arrangements to get you home。 She was only thirteen years old。 You were so proud of her。
I know that feeling today； Mom； when I see what wonderful mothers my daughters have bee。
As for your great…grandchildren； all I can say is that they have an overabundance of energy； either that； or I’m getting old。 A photo of the entire family sits on my dresser。 Everyone looks so happy。 We still are。 I thought you’d like to hear that。 It’s difficult without you； but I think we’re finally getting our act together。
It’s getting late； so I’m going to put away your things for now。 We’ll do this again next year； promise。
Happy birthday； Mom。
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爱上陌生人（1）
桑德·史密斯
我的母亲在她15岁的时候就有了第一个孩子，现在她已经76岁了，她以前一直希望有一天能够不用再照看小孩，不用再担心是否付得起账单，不用再承担那么多责任，总之就是坐下来，什么事情也不用做。
母亲终于实现了这个愿望。现在，她每天坐在养老院里，一边讲述着8岁时失去的父亲，一边用手指敲着椅子，发出的有切分的节奏使我想起了比博普（爵士乐的一种）。
我叫着：“米尔德蕾德……米尔德蕾德。”
她就会把头仰起来，笑得露出了牙齿，眼睛也有了神采，好像一个5岁的孩子。然后我对她说：“宝贝儿，到这儿来。”
我就赶紧跑过去，拉一把椅子，靠近她的身旁坐下来。
“嗨，米尔德蕾德，你好吗？” 我已经不叫她妈妈了，因为她对这个称呼已经没有反应了。
1984年，母亲被诊断出阿尔茨海默病——又名老年痴呆症，那年我刚刚大学毕业。在上学的时候，我就感到有一些不好的迹象。那时，我打电话回家，她就显得很不安，因为她常常丢钱。
我开始与母亲的疾病进行斗争，不断地更换医生、药物、调整饮食，还求助了中医，母亲的健康状况终于得到了改善。她减掉了75磅的体重，并且恢复了与人沟通的能力。虽然母亲的身体状况得到了很大改善，然而，在此后的6年中，她继续遭受着阿尔茨海默病的摧残。
1984年至1990年，疾病对母亲的身体健康造成了极大的损害。那段时间，我一直和母亲住在一起，她就在我的眼前发生着变化，很令人震惊。她不仅忘事，而且变得让我感到陌生。我的男朋友坐在椅子上看电视的时候，她就会满脸愁容，一边围着椅子转圈，一边嘀嘀咕咕。她还将一把大锤子藏在自己的房间里，稍微受到刺激，就会抓起锤子乱挥。她一旦走出家门，就不愿再回来，而是一边顺着街道奔跑，一边喊警察救命。从前，母亲收到过一封通知她参加公职考试的信，这使她逐渐确信自己就是一�