真正的成长，从不取决于年龄
<p>30岁生日时，我发现自己实际上还是个小孩子。一直以来，哥哥是那种典型的负责任的老大，甚至妹妹也早就表现出超越她龄的成熟。他们两人和父母一样，都把我当婴儿般照顾。直到这天，只身前去照顾在异地出差生病的父亲，我才真正成长起来……</p><p><span word="I">I</span> <span word="approached">approached</span> <span word="my">my</span> 30<span word="th">th</span> <span word="birthday">birthday</span> <span word="with">with</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="typical">typical</span> <span word="trepidation">trepidation</span> <span word="associated">associated</span> <span word="with">with</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="occasion">occasion</span>: <span word="I">I</span> <span word="lamented">lamented</span> <span word="all">all</span> <span word="I">I</span> <span word="hadn">hadn</span>’<span word="t">t</span> <span word="accomplished">accomplished</span>; <span word="I">I</span> <span word="surveyed">surveyed</span> <span word="my">my</span> <span word="face">face</span> <span word="for">for</span> <span word="crevices">crevices</span>. <span word="Midnight">Midnight</span> <span word="was">was</span> <span word="marked">marked</span> <span word="with">with</span> <span word="friends">friends</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="cupcakes">cupcakes</span>. <span word="I">I</span> <span word="fielded">fielded</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="requisite">requisite</span> <span word="phone">phone</span> <span word="calls">calls</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="flowers">flowers</span> <span word="at">at</span> <span word="work">work</span>, <span word="and">and</span> <span word="had">had</span> <span word="dinner">dinner</span> <span word="with">with</span> 15 <span word="friends">friends</span> <span word="who">who</span> <span word="braved">braved</span> <span word="an">an</span> <span word="impending">impending</span> <span word="blizzard">blizzard</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="celebrate">celebrate</span>. <span word="Then">Then</span> <span word="I">I</span> <span word="went">went</span> <span word="home">home</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="waited">waited</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="feel">feel</span> <span word="grown">grown</span> <span word="up">up</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="responsible">responsible</span> <span word="overnight">overnight</span>.</p><p><span word="I">I</span> <span word="didn">didn</span>’<span word="t">t</span>. <span word="It">It</span> <span word="took">took</span> <span word="four">four</span> <span word="days">days</span>.</p><p><span word="My">My</span> <span word="father">father</span> <span word="had">had</span> <span word="recently">recently</span> <span word="begun">begun</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="consulting">consulting</span> <span word="project">project</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="Cleveland">Cleveland</span>, <span word="away">away</span> <span word="from">from</span> <span word="my">my</span> <span word="mother">mother</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="Boston">Boston</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="his">his</span> <span word="three">three</span> <span word="adult">adult</span> <span word="kids">kids</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="New">New</span> <span word="York">York</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="Washington">Washington</span>, <span word="D">D</span>.<span word="C">C</span>. <span word="I">I</span> <span word="was">was</span> <span word="concerned">concerned</span> <span word="about">about</span> <span word="him">him</span> <span word="being">being</span> <span word="all">all</span> <span word="alone">alone</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="dingy">dingy</span> <span word="apartment">apartment</span>.</p><p>“<span word="Calm">Calm</span> <span word="down">down</span>,” <span word="my">my</span> <span word="older">older</span> <span word="brother">brother</span> <span word="told">told</span> <span word="me">me</span> <span word="when">when</span> <span word="I">I</span> <span word="relayed">relayed</span> <span word="my">my</span> <span word="apprehensions">apprehensions</span>. <span word="Dad">Dad</span> <span word="was">was</span> <span word="set">set</span> <span word="up">up</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="nice">nice</span> <span word="corporate">corporate</span> <span word="apartment">apartment</span>, <span word="he">he</span> <span word="loves">loves</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="cook">cook</span>, <span word="and">and</span> <span word="he">he</span>’<span word="d">d</span> <span word="be">be</span> <span word="flying">flying</span> <span word="home">home</span> <span word="on">on</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="weekends">weekends</span>, <span word="so">so</span> <span word="my">my</span> <span word="hyperbolic">hyperbolic</span> <span word="scenario">scenario</span> <span word="wasn">wasn</span>’<span word="t">t</span> <span word="likely">likely</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="become">become</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="reality">reality</span>. <span word="And">And</span> <span word="so">so</span> <span word="I">I</span> <span word="stopped">stopped</span> <span word="worrying">worrying</span> <span word="about">about</span> <span word="him">him</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="went">went</span> <span word="back">back</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="worrying">worrying</span> <span word="about">about</span> <span word="myself">myself</span>.</p><p><span word="Three">Three</span> <span word="days">days</span> <span word="after">after</span> <span word="my">my</span> <span word="birthday">birthday</span>, <span word="my">my</span> <span word="dad">dad</span> <span word="vomited">vomited</span> <span word="blood">blood</span> <span word="at">at</span> <span word="work">work</span>. <span word="The">The</span> <span word="next">next</span> <span word="day">day</span>, <span word="he">he</span> <span word="was">was</span> <span word="hospitalized">hospitalized</span>. <span word="Alone">Alone</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="Cleveland">Cleveland</span>. <span word="Hundreds">Hundreds</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="miles">miles</span> <span word="from">from</span> <span word="anyone">anyone</span> <span word="we">we</span> <span word="knew">knew</span>. <span word="I">I</span> <span word="was">was</span> <span word="aimlessly">aimlessly</span> <span word="shopping">shopping</span> <span word="when">when</span> <span word="I">I</span> <span word="got">got</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="call">call</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="Saturday">Saturday</span> <span word="afternoon">afternoon</span>. “<span word="What">What</span> <span word="are">are</span> <span word="you">you</span> <span word="doing">doing</span>?” <span word="my">my</span> <span word="mom">mom</span> <span word="asked">asked</span>. “<span word="Just">Just</span> <span word="killing">killing</span> <span word="time">time</span> <span word="before">before</span> <span word="dinner">dinner</span> <span word="with">with</span> <span word="some">some</span> <span word="friends">friends</span>,” <span word="I">I</span> <span word="answered">answered</span>. <span word="Then">Then</span> <span word="she">she</span> <span word="got">got</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="point">point</span>: “<span word="Your">Your</span> <span word="father">father</span>’<span word="s">s</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="hospital">hospital</span>.”</p>
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