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The old man could tell his wife was 1）agitated， when she came and 2）plumped down in the chair next to him. He had learned long ago it was best not to venture the first word， she would tell him about it when she was good and ready and had cooled down a bit.
Their granddaughter had brought home a little kitten from school without consulting her first； like they needed another animal in the house， as they already had a dog， three other cats and a 3）hamster. If she was going to keep it， one of the other cats had to go.
The old man wasn’t a cat person， far as he was concerned， it was just another cat to tolerate.
By morning this little fussy ball of white fur had snuck into the ladies heart. They had to get some special food and milk， since the kitten had been taken away from its mother too soon.
For a week Snuggles the little kitten romped and played and cried when it was left alone and seemed the happiest when the granddaughter was carrying him around， but he still wouldn’t eat and the medicine didn’t seem to help much.
The old man woke early in the morning to hear his granddaughter crying， he noticed his wife was absent from her side of the bed. He found her in bed with her granddaughter with the kitten between them.
The old man went downstairs and stretched out in his chair， but he could still hear the crying from his granddaughter and he knew it would get worse. She was just so emotional and had always been like that， it was heartbreaking when her mother brought the little kitten down wrapped in a blue 4）snuggle blanket and laid it on his 5）work bench.
She didn’t say anything， but he could see her lips trembling and then she rushed back up stairs.
Everyone in the house came by， to say good bye to the little kitten before they left for their daily 6）assailments. The grandmother had to go to work， and the mother had to take the daughter to school， before she herself went on into school， which just left the old man.
The old man had to take the grandson to school， but he looked at the kitten a minute before he made the morning 7）school run. It was just a couple of blocks away， upon returning， he hunted for a box the right size， then moved the kitten； it opened its mouth and looked at him； he wrapped up the still alive kitten， found a dropper to give it water， then sat for the next four hours with the kitten on his lap， softly stroking it. Really being looked at for the first time ever， at least it would know it was not alone and a warm loving hand would hold it with love till it was time to leave. The old man sat there； how could a little four-week-old kitten bring so much love into a house. He sat there hoping and praying and tears formed in his eyes when he was sure the little kitten had 8）expired.
The box had just been a box before， now he cut it down to just the right size and made sure it was dirt proof， then found a new pillow case to wrap Snuggles in. Just throwing Snuggles in a garbage bag and throwing it in a hole or a 9）dumpster was out of the question. His tears fell down his face as he hunted for a bag to put around the box， Snuggles was just too special.
He went to the shed and got out the 10）post hole diggers， a shovel and a rake. It would have to be a special spot not in the back of the yard.
He hadn’t planted any flowers around the garden， in the front of the house yet. His joints were hurting and old muscles cried in pain as he dug the hole deeper. He didn’t want anything to disturb the little kitten. It would always be a sacred place.
The old man placed the special box in the place he had dug and began covering it with the best soil， then took an angel from another pot of flowers and placed it on the exact spot. He wasn’t sure why he did it， other than that his granddaughter would want to know where Snuggles was buried.
I rested there after a minute and wondered what dad would say， as he had just put up with cats， till later in life； I wondered， would he be smiling down at me， trying to remind me that it wasn’t what you did in life， or where you had been， or what you had done， or what you thought in your own mind or how much money you had that counted， but it was really how much you had been loved and how much you loved in return.
I sat there thinking as I looked over the new grave， what really mattered； the yard hadn’t been weeded and trimmed， the junk hadn’t been 11）hauled off to what we thought would be neighbors’ expectations， I sat there thinking， did it really matter； 50 years from now， no one would remember or care. I couldn’t find the right words. There were just too many things in the world that haunted me， just an old man and a kitten that reminded me of what really mattered.
当妻子走过来“扑通”一下坐在他旁边的椅子上时，老人能感觉到她正烦躁不安。他多年前就已经懂得，这样的时刻最好不要冒险打开话题，待她缓过来，准备好了，平静一点之后，她便会向他道明一切。
他们的孙女没有征得她同意就把一只小猫咪从学校带回家里，好像他们家还需要多一只动物似的，要知道，他们已经养着一条狗、三只猫和一只仓鼠了。如果她想收养这只猫，那么就得送走其中一只猫。
老人并非一个爱猫之人，他不关心这些，对他而言只是再多忍受一只猫而已。
到了第二天早上，这个小小的白色毛绒球已经潜入女士们的心坎里了。他们得准备一些特别的食物和牛奶，因为这小猫咪过早地离开了猫妈妈。 一个星期以来，这只叫“抱抱”的小猫咪蹦跳、玩耍，被独个儿留下时便喵喵地叫，被孙女抱着走动时，它就像是世界上最幸福的猫咪，但它还是不愿意进食，药物似乎也起不了多大作用。
老人一大早醒来就听见他的孙女在哭，他发现妻子没睡在身旁，原来妻子和孙女睡，“抱抱”就在她们中间。
老人下了楼，坐在椅子上伸展筋骨，但是他依然能听见孙女的哭声，他也知道情况只会越来越糟。她太容易动情了，总是那样，当她妈妈用蓝色的裹毯裹起小猫咪抱下楼，放在老人的工作台上时，她伤心极了。
她一语不发，可是老人能看到她的嘴唇在发抖，接着她冲回到楼上。
在开始每天的工作之前，家里的每个人都过来与小猫咪道别。奶奶要上班，妈妈要在自己去上课之前送女儿去学校，就只剩下老人一人了。
老人要送孙子去上学，出门赶往学校前，他再看了小猫咪一眼。学校就在几个街区之外，回来时，他找到了一个大小合适的盒子，接着，他把小猫咪挪到盒子里；它张开小嘴，望着他；他把这还活着的小猫咪裹起来，找来一个点滴器给它喂水，接下来的四个小时，他把小猫咪放在大腿上，轻轻地抚摸着它。这是小猫咪第一次被真正地凝视，至少它会知道自己并不孤单，并且一只温暖的手正有爱地抱着它，直到它离开这个世界。
老人坐在那儿；一只四周大的小猫咪怎么会给一个家庭带来如此多的爱啊。他坐在那儿，盼望着，祈祷着，当他确信小猫咪已经离开时，眼泪盈满了他的双眼。
这个盒子原本只是个普通的盒子，现在他把盒子剪成恰当的尺寸，确保其防尘防土，接着找来一个崭新的枕头套把“抱抱”裹好。随便把“抱抱”装进垃圾袋，扔进泥坑或者垃圾箱里是不可能的事。在他寻找袋子把盒子包起来的时候，眼泪从他的脸颊滑落下来，“抱抱”真的太特别了。
他走进工作棚，拿出孔洞挖掘机、铲子和耙子。一定要找一个不在后院的特殊地点。
他尚未在花园和前院里种花。在他将洞越挖越深的时候，他的关节生疼，老肌肉嗷嗷作疼。他不想有任何东西打扰小猫咪。那里将永远是一个神圣的地方。
老人把那个特殊的盒子放进自己亲手挖出的地方，开始用最好的泥土覆盖，然后从另一盆花上拿来一个天使，放在那个地方上面。他不清楚自己为什么这么做，只不过，他的孙女会想知道“抱抱”被埋在哪儿。
我在那里停歇了一会儿，想着父亲会说些什么，因为他直到晚年才刚接纳了这些猫；我想知道，他会否低头对我微笑，试着提醒我，重要的不是你在一生中做了什么、去过哪里、成就了什么、脑子里想着什么，又或者你拥有多少财富，而是你真正获得多少爱、付出多少爱。
我坐在那儿，望着那座新坟，陷入沉思，想着什么才是真正重要的；院子还没除草和修剪，垃圾还没清理到我们设想中的邻里预期的标准，我坐在那儿想着，这是否真的那么重要；50年之后，没有人会记得，也没有人会在乎。我找不到合适的语言。世界上实在有太多的事情萦绕着我，仅仅一位老人和一只小猫咪就提醒了我什么才是真正重要的。
Their granddaughter had brought home a little kitten from school without consulting her first； like they needed another animal in the house， as they already had a dog， three other cats and a 3）hamster. If she was going to keep it， one of the other cats had to go.
The old man wasn’t a cat person， far as he was concerned， it was just another cat to tolerate.
By morning this little fussy ball of white fur had snuck into the ladies heart. They had to get some special food and milk， since the kitten had been taken away from its mother too soon.
For a week Snuggles the little kitten romped and played and cried when it was left alone and seemed the happiest when the granddaughter was carrying him around， but he still wouldn’t eat and the medicine didn’t seem to help much.
The old man woke early in the morning to hear his granddaughter crying， he noticed his wife was absent from her side of the bed. He found her in bed with her granddaughter with the kitten between them.
The old man went downstairs and stretched out in his chair， but he could still hear the crying from his granddaughter and he knew it would get worse. She was just so emotional and had always been like that， it was heartbreaking when her mother brought the little kitten down wrapped in a blue 4）snuggle blanket and laid it on his 5）work bench.
She didn’t say anything， but he could see her lips trembling and then she rushed back up stairs.
Everyone in the house came by， to say good bye to the little kitten before they left for their daily 6）assailments. The grandmother had to go to work， and the mother had to take the daughter to school， before she herself went on into school， which just left the old man.
The old man had to take the grandson to school， but he looked at the kitten a minute before he made the morning 7）school run. It was just a couple of blocks away， upon returning， he hunted for a box the right size， then moved the kitten； it opened its mouth and looked at him； he wrapped up the still alive kitten， found a dropper to give it water， then sat for the next four hours with the kitten on his lap， softly stroking it. Really being looked at for the first time ever， at least it would know it was not alone and a warm loving hand would hold it with love till it was time to leave. The old man sat there； how could a little four-week-old kitten bring so much love into a house. He sat there hoping and praying and tears formed in his eyes when he was sure the little kitten had 8）expired.
The box had just been a box before， now he cut it down to just the right size and made sure it was dirt proof， then found a new pillow case to wrap Snuggles in. Just throwing Snuggles in a garbage bag and throwing it in a hole or a 9）dumpster was out of the question. His tears fell down his face as he hunted for a bag to put around the box， Snuggles was just too special.
He went to the shed and got out the 10）post hole diggers， a shovel and a rake. It would have to be a special spot not in the back of the yard.
He hadn’t planted any flowers around the garden， in the front of the house yet. His joints were hurting and old muscles cried in pain as he dug the hole deeper. He didn’t want anything to disturb the little kitten. It would always be a sacred place.
The old man placed the special box in the place he had dug and began covering it with the best soil， then took an angel from another pot of flowers and placed it on the exact spot. He wasn’t sure why he did it， other than that his granddaughter would want to know where Snuggles was buried.
I rested there after a minute and wondered what dad would say， as he had just put up with cats， till later in life； I wondered， would he be smiling down at me， trying to remind me that it wasn’t what you did in life， or where you had been， or what you had done， or what you thought in your own mind or how much money you had that counted， but it was really how much you had been loved and how much you loved in return.
I sat there thinking as I looked over the new grave， what really mattered； the yard hadn’t been weeded and trimmed， the junk hadn’t been 11）hauled off to what we thought would be neighbors’ expectations， I sat there thinking， did it really matter； 50 years from now， no one would remember or care. I couldn’t find the right words. There were just too many things in the world that haunted me， just an old man and a kitten that reminded me of what really mattered.
当妻子走过来“扑通”一下坐在他旁边的椅子上时，老人能感觉到她正烦躁不安。他多年前就已经懂得，这样的时刻最好不要冒险打开话题，待她缓过来，准备好了，平静一点之后，她便会向他道明一切。
他们的孙女没有征得她同意就把一只小猫咪从学校带回家里，好像他们家还需要多一只动物似的，要知道，他们已经养着一条狗、三只猫和一只仓鼠了。如果她想收养这只猫，那么就得送走其中一只猫。
老人并非一个爱猫之人，他不关心这些，对他而言只是再多忍受一只猫而已。
到了第二天早上，这个小小的白色毛绒球已经潜入女士们的心坎里了。他们得准备一些特别的食物和牛奶，因为这小猫咪过早地离开了猫妈妈。 一个星期以来，这只叫“抱抱”的小猫咪蹦跳、玩耍，被独个儿留下时便喵喵地叫，被孙女抱着走动时，它就像是世界上最幸福的猫咪，但它还是不愿意进食，药物似乎也起不了多大作用。
老人一大早醒来就听见他的孙女在哭，他发现妻子没睡在身旁，原来妻子和孙女睡，“抱抱”就在她们中间。
老人下了楼，坐在椅子上伸展筋骨，但是他依然能听见孙女的哭声，他也知道情况只会越来越糟。她太容易动情了，总是那样，当她妈妈用蓝色的裹毯裹起小猫咪抱下楼，放在老人的工作台上时，她伤心极了。
她一语不发，可是老人能看到她的嘴唇在发抖，接着她冲回到楼上。
在开始每天的工作之前，家里的每个人都过来与小猫咪道别。奶奶要上班，妈妈要在自己去上课之前送女儿去学校，就只剩下老人一人了。
老人要送孙子去上学，出门赶往学校前，他再看了小猫咪一眼。学校就在几个街区之外，回来时，他找到了一个大小合适的盒子，接着，他把小猫咪挪到盒子里；它张开小嘴，望着他；他把这还活着的小猫咪裹起来，找来一个点滴器给它喂水，接下来的四个小时，他把小猫咪放在大腿上，轻轻地抚摸着它。这是小猫咪第一次被真正地凝视，至少它会知道自己并不孤单，并且一只温暖的手正有爱地抱着它，直到它离开这个世界。
老人坐在那儿；一只四周大的小猫咪怎么会给一个家庭带来如此多的爱啊。他坐在那儿，盼望着，祈祷着，当他确信小猫咪已经离开时，眼泪盈满了他的双眼。
这个盒子原本只是个普通的盒子，现在他把盒子剪成恰当的尺寸，确保其防尘防土，接着找来一个崭新的枕头套把“抱抱”裹好。随便把“抱抱”装进垃圾袋，扔进泥坑或者垃圾箱里是不可能的事。在他寻找袋子把盒子包起来的时候，眼泪从他的脸颊滑落下来，“抱抱”真的太特别了。
他走进工作棚，拿出孔洞挖掘机、铲子和耙子。一定要找一个不在后院的特殊地点。
他尚未在花园和前院里种花。在他将洞越挖越深的时候，他的关节生疼，老肌肉嗷嗷作疼。他不想有任何东西打扰小猫咪。那里将永远是一个神圣的地方。
老人把那个特殊的盒子放进自己亲手挖出的地方，开始用最好的泥土覆盖，然后从另一盆花上拿来一个天使，放在那个地方上面。他不清楚自己为什么这么做，只不过，他的孙女会想知道“抱抱”被埋在哪儿。
我在那里停歇了一会儿，想着父亲会说些什么，因为他直到晚年才刚接纳了这些猫；我想知道，他会否低头对我微笑，试着提醒我，重要的不是你在一生中做了什么、去过哪里、成就了什么、脑子里想着什么，又或者你拥有多少财富，而是你真正获得多少爱、付出多少爱。
我坐在那儿，望着那座新坟，陷入沉思，想着什么才是真正重要的；院子还没除草和修剪，垃圾还没清理到我们设想中的邻里预期的标准，我坐在那儿想着，这是否真的那么重要；50年之后，没有人会记得，也没有人会在乎。我找不到合适的语言。世界上实在有太多的事情萦绕着我，仅仅一位老人和一只小猫咪就提醒了我什么才是真正重要的。