难以说出口的再见
<p>朋友们告诉我：“孩子们长得太快了!”18年后，我终于体会到了其中的含义……</p><p><span word="It">It</span>’<span word="s">s</span> <span word="nearly">nearly</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="end">end</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="summer">summer</span> <span word="break">break</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="my">my</span> <span word="son">son</span> <span word="goes">goes</span> <span word="out">out</span> <span word="with">with</span> <span word="friends">friends</span>. <span word="Ten">Ten</span> <span word="minutes">minutes</span> <span word="after">after</span> <span word="he">he</span> <span word="leaves">leaves</span> <span word="home">home</span>, <span word="I">I</span> <span word="receive">receive</span> <span word="his">his</span> <span word="text">text</span>: <span word="Here">Here</span>. <span word="It">It</span>’<span word="s">s</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="same">same</span> <span word="message">message</span> <span word="I">I</span>’<span word="ve">ve</span> <span word="received">received</span> <span word="hundreds">hundreds</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="times">times</span> <span word="before">before</span>—<span word="our">our</span> <span word="agreed">agreed</span>-<span word="upon">upon</span> <span word="shorthand">shorthand</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="reassure">reassure</span> <span word="me">me</span>, <span word="and">and</span> <span word="probably">probably</span> <span word="him">him</span>, <span word="in">in</span> <span word="some">some</span> <span word="still">still</span>-<span word="unexamined">unexamined</span> <span word="way">way</span>, <span word="that">that</span> <span word="he">he</span> <span word="has">has</span> <span word="arrived">arrived</span> <span word="safely">safely</span> <span word="at">at</span> <span word="his">his</span> <span word="destination">destination</span>. <span word="In">In</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="matter">matter</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="days">days</span> <span word="he">he</span>’<span word="ll">ll</span> <span word="head">head</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="college">college</span>, <span word="and">and</span> <span word="this">this</span> <span word="routine">routine</span>, <span word="along">along</span> <span word="with">with</span> <span word="many">many</span> <span word="others">others</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="have">have</span> <span word="framed">framed</span> <span word="our">our</span> <span word="days">days</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="nights">nights</span>, <span word="will">will</span> <span word="come">come</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="an">an</span> <span word="end">end</span>. <span word="Reading">Reading</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="text">text</span> <span word="triggers">triggers</span> <span word="images">images</span> <span word="stored">stored</span> <span word="safely">safely</span> <span word="away">away</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="my">my</span> <span word="memory">memory</span>, <span word="a">a</span> <span word="tiny">tiny</span> <span word="book">book</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="our">our</span> <span word="lives">lives</span> <span word="together">together</span>.</p><p><span word="My">My</span> <span word="constant">constant</span> <span word="companion">companion</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="nine">nine</span> <span word="months">months</span> <span word="emerges">emerges</span> <span word="with">with</span> <span word="his">his</span> <span word="eyes">eyes</span> <span word="wide">wide</span> <span word="open">open</span>. <span word="He">He</span>’<span word="s">s</span> <span word="placed">placed</span> <span word="on">on</span> <span word="my">my</span> <span word="chest">chest</span>. <span word="I">I</span> <span word="feel">feel</span> <span word="his">his</span> <span word="heartbeat">heartbeat</span> <span word="reverberating">reverberating</span> <span word="through">through</span> <span word="mine">mine</span>. <span word="All">All</span> <span word="I">I</span> <span word="see">see</span> <span word="are">are</span> <span word="beginnings">beginnings</span>. <span word="Friends">Friends</span> <span word="who">who</span> <span word="visit">visit</span> <span word="caution">caution</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="time">time</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="elusive">elusive</span>, <span word="that">that</span> <span word="he">he</span>’<span word="ll">ll</span> <span word="grow">grow</span> <span word="up">up</span> <span word="faster">faster</span> <span word="than">than</span> <span word="I">I</span> <span word="can">can</span> <span word="imagine">imagine</span>, <span word="and">and</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="savor">savor</span> <span word="every">every</span> <span word="moment">moment</span>. <span word="But">But</span> <span word="I">I</span> <span word="can">can</span>’<span word="t">t</span> <span word="hear">hear</span> <span word="them">them</span>; <span word="it">it</span>’<span word="s">s</span> <span word="all">all</span> <span word="too">too</span> <span word="clich">clich</span>é<span word="d">d</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="my">my</span> <span word="child">child</span> <span word="has">has</span> <span word="only">only</span> <span word="just">just</span> <span word="arrived">arrived</span>. <span word="He">He</span>’<span word="s">s</span> <span word="intoxicating">intoxicating</span>. <span word="I">I</span>’<span word="m">m</span> <span word="filled">filled</span> <span word="with">with</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="renewed">renewed</span> <span word="sense">sense</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="purpose">purpose</span>, <span word="of">of</span> <span word="hope">hope</span>, <span word="of">of</span> <span word="love">love</span>. <span word="The">The</span> <span word="first">first</span> <span word="few">few</span> <span word="months">months</span> <span word="after">after</span> <span word="he">he</span>’<span word="s">s</span> <span word="born">born</span> <span word="are">are</span> <span word="topsy">topsy</span>-<span word="turvy">turvy</span>—<span word="day">day</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="night">night</span>, <span word="night">night</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="day">day</span>. <span word="When">When</span> <span word="sleep">sleep</span> <span word="finally">finally</span> <span word="returns">returns</span>, <span word="so">so</span> <span word="does">does</span> <span word="work">work</span>. <span word="My">My</span> <span word="business">business</span> <span word="suit">suit</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="tight">tight</span>, <span word="my">my</span> <span word="mind">mind</span> <span word="preoccupied">preoccupied</span>. <span word="I">I</span> <span word="pump">pump</span> <span word="milk">milk</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="cold">cold</span>, <span word="gray">gray</span> <span word="bathroom">bathroom</span> <span word="stall">stall</span>.</p><p><span word="His">His</span> <span word="teeth">teeth</span> <span word="begin">begin</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="appear">appear</span>. <span word="Baby">Baby</span> <span word="bottles">bottles</span> <span word="give">give</span> <span word="way">way</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="solid">solid</span> <span word="foods">foods</span>. <span word="He">He</span> <span word="points">points</span> <span word="high">high</span> <span word="above">above</span> <span word="his">his</span> <span word="chair">chair</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="clock">clock</span> <span word="on">on</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="wall">wall</span>. “<span word="Clock">Clock</span>,” <span word="he">he</span> <span word="says">says</span>. <span word="It">It</span>’<span word="s">s</span> <span word="his">his</span> <span word="first">first</span> <span word="word">word</span>, <span word="minus">minus</span> <span word="the">the</span> “<span word="l">l</span>,” <span word="and">and</span> <span word="it">it</span> <span word="makes">makes</span> <span word="me">me</span> <span word="laugh">laugh</span>. <span word="Soon">Soon</span> <span word="he">he</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="walking">walking</span>, <span word="skipping">skipping</span>, <span word="making">making</span> <span word="angels">angels</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="snow">snow</span>. <span word="I">I</span>’<span word="m">m</span> <span word="promoted">promoted</span> <span word="at">at</span> <span word="work">work</span>. <span word="It">It</span> <span word="becomes">becomes</span> <span word="harder">harder</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="find">find</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="time">time</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="make">make</span> <span word="playdates">playdates</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="pediatrician">pediatrician</span> <span word="appointments">appointments</span>. <span word="At">At</span> <span word="lunch">lunch</span> <span word="I">I</span> <span word="read">read</span> <span word="books">books</span> <span word="about">about</span> <span word="nurturing">nurturing</span>, <span word="teaching">teaching</span>, <span word="inspiring">inspiring</span> <span word="your">your</span> <span word="child">child</span>. <span word="He">He</span> <span word="calls">calls</span> <span word="my">my</span> <span word="office">office</span> <span word="with">with</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="help">help</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="his">his</span> <span word="baby">baby</span>-<span word="sitter">sitter</span>. “<span word="Momma">Momma</span>,” <span word="he">he</span> <span word="says">says</span>, “<span word="I">I</span>’<span word="m">m</span> <span word="making">making</span> <span word="you">you</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="present">present</span>.”</p>
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