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I looked at the 1)scrawled handwriting on the envelope. I blinked and read it once again before tears began to 2)tumble. My birthday card had been addressed, sent, and signed by Dad.
I’d not thought about, or expected, a card that year. The prior months had been dreadful as we watched Mom’s health 3)spiral downward. At Dad’s age, the ordeal eventually 4)took a terrible toll on him as well. Especially when he realized Mom’s only option was to live out her final days in a5)nursing home. She would never come home again and soon Dad would be alone for the first time in his life.
Yet, there it was…a birthday card, and the only one I had ever received without Mom’s familiar handwriting. I didn’t even feel the need to open it, for Dad’s efforts told me all I needed to know, and more. I 6)cradled it like a priceless breakable and wept buckets of tears. Some for a card I would always 7)hold dear, others for the sorrowful changes taking place in the lives of those I loved.
When I did open the card…the sentiment was lovely and it was obvious much thought had been given to the selection. Although it was signed “Mom and Dad,” never had I seen my parent’s names written by Dad…another gloomy reminder of what was to come. Mom would not be with us much longer.
Six years later, with Dad rapidly approaching 90 years of age, I smiled when my birthday card came today! It always arrives several days early and the birthday check inside holds a 8)brainteaser—an idea Dad 9)concocted when greeting cards became one of his duties. The “10)memo” line at the bottom of the check is where his now-infamous secret code is found. Using capital letters he leaves a birthday message.
An example: H. O. A. Y. T. Y. When I call to thank him for my card, you can 11)bet your boots I will be quizzed on the answer.
A year after Mom’s death I was on an extended summer visit at Dad’s. I 12)yawned as I 13)plodded to the coffee pot one morning, poured a cup, and sat down next to Dad at the 14)kitchen island. He was addressing a card to an old family friend.
“Dad, how do you 15)keep track of all the birthdays and anniversaries? And, your cards are never late. You do a really good job!”
The look he gave me with those big, blue eyes suggested I might be dumb. “It’s simple! On the first of the month I get my calendar and write down all the cards I’ll need to send that month. The next time I go shopping, I buy them…then I place them in order in the file cabinet drawer.”
I grabbed Dad’s calendar and 16)yanked open the file drawer. Sure enough, the cards were in perfect order, from the first of the month to the last.
“Wow, you’ve got quite a system here!” I exclaimed. “Maybe I should set up one just like yours.” I teased.
“After Mom died I had to figure out something! I didn’t realize how many cards we sent out in a year’s time.”
I’ve never asked Dad about his secret codes for I know they began as a witty 17)distraction during a sad and emotional time. They’ve continued because he’s a wise man who knows life goes on regardless of our circumstances and that a new comical 18)twist along life’s path can always lighten our load.
(Code = How Old Are You This Year)
我看着信封上潦草的字迹。趁着泪水还未夺眶而出,我眨了眨眼又读了一遍。我的生日卡是爸爸写的,寄的,上面还附有他的签名。
我根本没想过,或是期盼过那一年能收到卡片。当我们眼见着妈妈的健康状况急转直下时,之前的几个月宛如噩梦。在爸爸这个年纪,这种折磨对他来说也是一次很大的打击,尤其是当他得知妈妈别无他选,只能在疗养院度过最后的日子时。她再也不能回家了,而很快,爸爸将在其一生中第一次孤单度日。
但是,就在那儿……一张生日卡,是我收到的生日卡里面唯一没有妈妈那熟悉笔迹的一张。我甚至觉得没必要去打开它,因为爸爸的努力已经告知了我所需要知道的一切,而且还不止如此。我把它揣在怀里,就像是一块易碎的无价之宝,潸然泪下——一部分是为了一张我将永远珍视的卡片,另一部分是为我所爱的人生命遭受的痛苦变化。
当我最终打开这张卡片时……那份饱含的感情是爱意拳拳的,而且很显然,其遣词用句是经过仔细斟酌的。虽然署名是“妈妈和爸爸”,但我从未见过爸爸书写他们俩的名字……这又一次令人沮丧地提醒着将要到来的事实——妈妈再也不能和我们在一起了。
六年后,爸爸很快要90大寿了,当我收到生日卡的时候,我笑了。它总是提前数日到达,而里面的生日支票上有一个谜 语——当写贺卡成为爸爸的职责之一后,他想出了这么个主意。我在支票下方的“备注”栏里找到了他那如今已是“臭名昭著”的密码。他用大写字母留下了一条生日信息。
比如:“H. O. A. Y. T. Y.”。当我打电话感谢他寄来生日卡时,他肯定会让我来解码。
在妈妈去世一年后的夏天,我利用长假回家探望爸爸。一天清早,我打着呵欠拖着缓慢的步子走向咖啡壶,倒了杯咖啡,然后在岛式橱柜台旁跟爸爸相邻而坐。他正在给一位家庭旧友写卡片。
“爸爸,你怎么能对所有这些生日和纪念日都记得那么清楚啊?而且,你的卡片从来都没迟到过。你做得真不错!”
他那双蓝色的大眼睛看着我的眼神仿佛在说我就是个傻子。“很简单啊。在每个月的第一天,我拿出月历,然后写下那个月我将要寄出的所有卡片。等下一次去购物时,我就买好卡片……接着把它们按顺序放进文件柜的抽屉里。”
我一把抢过爸爸的月历,并猛地拉开文件柜的抽屉。果然,那些卡片摆放得次序井然,从月头到月尾。
“哇,这里你整理得真是井井有条!”我惊叹道。“也许我也应该像你一样整理自己的东西。”我打趣道。
“自从你妈妈去世后,我不得不想想办法!我从来都没意识到我们一年里要寄出多少张卡片。”
我从没过问爸爸关于他那些密码的事,因为我知道,它们始于一个悲痛难忍的时期,是一个分散注意力的聪明点子。密码谜题继续出现,因为他是个充满智慧的人,明白无论我们所处的环境怎样,生活都要继续下去,而人生路上来点新鲜好玩的“意外”总是能减轻我们的重担。
(密码:你今年多大了)
I’d not thought about, or expected, a card that year. The prior months had been dreadful as we watched Mom’s health 3)spiral downward. At Dad’s age, the ordeal eventually 4)took a terrible toll on him as well. Especially when he realized Mom’s only option was to live out her final days in a5)nursing home. She would never come home again and soon Dad would be alone for the first time in his life.
Yet, there it was…a birthday card, and the only one I had ever received without Mom’s familiar handwriting. I didn’t even feel the need to open it, for Dad’s efforts told me all I needed to know, and more. I 6)cradled it like a priceless breakable and wept buckets of tears. Some for a card I would always 7)hold dear, others for the sorrowful changes taking place in the lives of those I loved.
When I did open the card…the sentiment was lovely and it was obvious much thought had been given to the selection. Although it was signed “Mom and Dad,” never had I seen my parent’s names written by Dad…another gloomy reminder of what was to come. Mom would not be with us much longer.
Six years later, with Dad rapidly approaching 90 years of age, I smiled when my birthday card came today! It always arrives several days early and the birthday check inside holds a 8)brainteaser—an idea Dad 9)concocted when greeting cards became one of his duties. The “10)memo” line at the bottom of the check is where his now-infamous secret code is found. Using capital letters he leaves a birthday message.
An example: H. O. A. Y. T. Y. When I call to thank him for my card, you can 11)bet your boots I will be quizzed on the answer.
A year after Mom’s death I was on an extended summer visit at Dad’s. I 12)yawned as I 13)plodded to the coffee pot one morning, poured a cup, and sat down next to Dad at the 14)kitchen island. He was addressing a card to an old family friend.
“Dad, how do you 15)keep track of all the birthdays and anniversaries? And, your cards are never late. You do a really good job!”
The look he gave me with those big, blue eyes suggested I might be dumb. “It’s simple! On the first of the month I get my calendar and write down all the cards I’ll need to send that month. The next time I go shopping, I buy them…then I place them in order in the file cabinet drawer.”
I grabbed Dad’s calendar and 16)yanked open the file drawer. Sure enough, the cards were in perfect order, from the first of the month to the last.
“Wow, you’ve got quite a system here!” I exclaimed. “Maybe I should set up one just like yours.” I teased.
“After Mom died I had to figure out something! I didn’t realize how many cards we sent out in a year’s time.”
I’ve never asked Dad about his secret codes for I know they began as a witty 17)distraction during a sad and emotional time. They’ve continued because he’s a wise man who knows life goes on regardless of our circumstances and that a new comical 18)twist along life’s path can always lighten our load.
(Code = How Old Are You This Year)
我看着信封上潦草的字迹。趁着泪水还未夺眶而出,我眨了眨眼又读了一遍。我的生日卡是爸爸写的,寄的,上面还附有他的签名。
我根本没想过,或是期盼过那一年能收到卡片。当我们眼见着妈妈的健康状况急转直下时,之前的几个月宛如噩梦。在爸爸这个年纪,这种折磨对他来说也是一次很大的打击,尤其是当他得知妈妈别无他选,只能在疗养院度过最后的日子时。她再也不能回家了,而很快,爸爸将在其一生中第一次孤单度日。
但是,就在那儿……一张生日卡,是我收到的生日卡里面唯一没有妈妈那熟悉笔迹的一张。我甚至觉得没必要去打开它,因为爸爸的努力已经告知了我所需要知道的一切,而且还不止如此。我把它揣在怀里,就像是一块易碎的无价之宝,潸然泪下——一部分是为了一张我将永远珍视的卡片,另一部分是为我所爱的人生命遭受的痛苦变化。
当我最终打开这张卡片时……那份饱含的感情是爱意拳拳的,而且很显然,其遣词用句是经过仔细斟酌的。虽然署名是“妈妈和爸爸”,但我从未见过爸爸书写他们俩的名字……这又一次令人沮丧地提醒着将要到来的事实——妈妈再也不能和我们在一起了。
六年后,爸爸很快要90大寿了,当我收到生日卡的时候,我笑了。它总是提前数日到达,而里面的生日支票上有一个谜 语——当写贺卡成为爸爸的职责之一后,他想出了这么个主意。我在支票下方的“备注”栏里找到了他那如今已是“臭名昭著”的密码。他用大写字母留下了一条生日信息。
比如:“H. O. A. Y. T. Y.”。当我打电话感谢他寄来生日卡时,他肯定会让我来解码。
在妈妈去世一年后的夏天,我利用长假回家探望爸爸。一天清早,我打着呵欠拖着缓慢的步子走向咖啡壶,倒了杯咖啡,然后在岛式橱柜台旁跟爸爸相邻而坐。他正在给一位家庭旧友写卡片。
“爸爸,你怎么能对所有这些生日和纪念日都记得那么清楚啊?而且,你的卡片从来都没迟到过。你做得真不错!”
他那双蓝色的大眼睛看着我的眼神仿佛在说我就是个傻子。“很简单啊。在每个月的第一天,我拿出月历,然后写下那个月我将要寄出的所有卡片。等下一次去购物时,我就买好卡片……接着把它们按顺序放进文件柜的抽屉里。”
我一把抢过爸爸的月历,并猛地拉开文件柜的抽屉。果然,那些卡片摆放得次序井然,从月头到月尾。
“哇,这里你整理得真是井井有条!”我惊叹道。“也许我也应该像你一样整理自己的东西。”我打趣道。
“自从你妈妈去世后,我不得不想想办法!我从来都没意识到我们一年里要寄出多少张卡片。”
我从没过问爸爸关于他那些密码的事,因为我知道,它们始于一个悲痛难忍的时期,是一个分散注意力的聪明点子。密码谜题继续出现,因为他是个充满智慧的人,明白无论我们所处的环境怎样,生活都要继续下去,而人生路上来点新鲜好玩的“意外”总是能减轻我们的重担。
(密码:你今年多大了)