我想告诫她：做了母亲后，每当她看报纸时就会情不自禁地联想：“如果那件事情发生在我的孩子身上将会怎样啊！”每一次飞机失事、每一场住宅火灾都会让她提心吊胆。看到那些忍饥挨饿的孩子们的照片时，她会思索：世界上还有什么比眼睁睁地看着自己的孩子饿死更惨的事情呢？我打量着她精修细剪的指甲和时尚前卫的衣服，心里想到：不管她打扮多么考究，做了母亲后，她会变得像护崽的母熊那样原始而不修边幅。
我觉得自己应该提醒她，不管她在工作上投入了多少年，一旦做了母亲，工作就会脱离常规。她自然可以安排他人照顾孩子，但说不定哪天她要去参加一个非常重要的商务会议，却忍不住想起宝宝身上散发的甜甜乳香。她不得不拼命克制自己，才不至于为了看看孩子是否安然无羔而中途回家。
我想告诉朋友，有了孩子后，她将再也不能按照惯例做出决定。在餐馆，5岁的儿子想进男厕而不愿进女厕将成为摆在她眼前的一大难题：她将在两个选择之间权衡一番：尊重孩子的独立和性别意识，还是让他进男厕所冒险被潜在的儿童性骚扰者侵害？任凭她在办公室多么果断，作为母亲，她仍经常事后后悔自己当时的决定。
注视着我的这位漂亮的朋友，我想让她明确地知道，她最终会恢复到怀孕前的体重，但是她对自己的感觉已然不同。她现在视为如此重要的生命将随着孩子的诞生而变得不那么宝贵。为了救自己的孩子，她时刻愿意献出自己的生命。但她也开始希望多活一些年头，不是为了实现自己的梦想，而是为了看着孩子们美梦成真。
我想向朋友形容自己看到孩子学会击球时的喜悦之情。我想让她留意宝宝第一次触摸狗的绒毛时的捧腹大笑。我想让她品尝快乐，尽管这快乐真实得令人心痛。
朋友的表情让我意识到自己已经是热泪盈眶。“你永远不会后悔，”我最后说。然后紧紧地握住朋友的手，为她、为自己、也为每一位艰难跋涉、准备响应母亲职业神圣的召唤的平凡女性献上自己的祈祷。
Mamma
After 21years of marriage，I discovered a new way of keeping alive the spark of love.I started to go out with another woman.It was really my wife’s idea.
“I know that you love her，”she said one day，taking me by surprise.“But I love YOU，”I protested.“I know，but you also love her.”
The other woman that my wife wanted me to visit was my mother，who has been a widow for 19years，but the demands of my work and my three children had made it possible to visit her only occasionally.That night I called to invite her to go out for dinner and a movie.“What’s wrong，are you well？”she asked.My mother is the type of woman who suspects that a late night call or a surprise invitation is a sign of bad news.“I thought that it would be pleasant to pass some time with you，”I responded.“Just the two of us.”She thought about it for a moment，then said，“I would like that very much.”
That Friday after work，as I drove over to pick her up I was a bit nervous.When I arrived at her house，I noticed that she，too，seemed to be nervous about our date.She waited in the door with her coat on.She had curled her hair and was wearing the dress that she had worn to celebrate her last wedding anniversary.She smiled from a face that was as radiant as an angel’s.“I told my friends that I was going to go out with my son，and they were impressed，”she said，as she got into the car.“They can’t wait to hear about our meeting.”
We went to a restaurant that，although not elegant，was very nice and cozy.My mother took my arm as if she were the First Lady.After we sat down，I had to read the menu.Her eyes could only read large print.Half way through the entries，I lifted my eyes and saw Mom sitting there staring at me.A nostalgic smile was on her lips.“It was I who used to have to read the menu when you were small，”she said.“Then it’s time that you relax and let me return the favor，”I responded.
During the dinner we had an agreeable conversation —nothing extraordinary—but catching up on recent events of each other’s life.We talked so much that we missed the movie.As we arrived at her house later，she said，“I’ll go out with you again，but only if you let me invite you.”I agreed.
“How was your dinner date？”asked my wife when I got home.“Very nice.Much more so than I could have imagined，”I answered.
A few days later my mother died of a massive heart attack.It happened so suddenly that I didn’t have a chance to do anything for her.At that moment I understood the importance of saying in time：“I LOVE YOU”and to give our loved ones the time that they deserve.Nothing in life is more important than your family.Give them the time they deserve，because these things cannot be put off till “some other time”.
妈妈
结婚21年后，我发现了保持爱之火花的一种新方法。我开始与另一个女人出去约会。其实这还是我妻子的主意呢。
“我知道你爱她，”有一天她对我说，这令我感到惊奇。“但我也爱你，”我声明。“我知道，不过，你也爱她。”
我妻子想让我去拜访的另一个女人就是我的妈妈，她守寡19年了，但由于我的工作需要以及有三个孩子要抚养，我很少有机会去看望她。那天晚上，我打电话约她吃饭看电影。“出什么事了？你还好吧？”她问。我妈妈是那种认为深夜电话或出其不意的邀请代表坏消息征兆的女人。“我觉得与您共度一段时间将是一件愉快的事，”我这样回答。“就我们两个人。”她想了一想，便说：“其实我很想这样。”
于是周五下班后，我开车去接她。我有点儿不安。到了她的住所，我注意到，她对我们的约会好像也有些紧张。她穿着外套在门口等我。她将头发盘了起来，并且穿着最后一次结婚纪念日那天穿的套装，天使般容光焕发的脸上带着笑容。“我告诉朋友们我要跟儿子出去约会，他们都很感动，”上车时她对我说。“他们急迫地想了解我们约会的情况。”
我们去了一家虽不是一流却很优雅舒适的饭店。妈妈挽着我的手臂，宛如第一夫人。我们坐下后，我开始看菜单。她的眼睛现在只能看清一些大字。透过条目的缝隙，我抬眼看到妈妈正坐在那儿盯着我，嘴上带着怀旧的笑容。“你小的时候，都是我看菜单，”她说。“现在轮到您休息了，该我回报您了，”我答道。
吃饭的时候，我们谈得很愉快——也没什么特别的事——只是简单描述一下彼此生活中最近发生的事。我们谈得太尽兴以至错过了看电影。当我送她回到家时，她说：“我会再跟你出去约会，但必须是我邀请你。”我同意了。
“饭吃得怎么样啊？”回到家时我妻子问。“非常好。比我想像中要好得多。”我回答。
几天后，妈妈由于严重的心脏病发作去世了。发生的如此突然以至我没有机会为她做任何事。那一刻，我明白了及时说出“我爱你”以及给予我们所爱的人他们应该得到的时间的重要性。生命中没有什么比你的家庭更重要。多花些时间陪陪你的家人，因为这些事情不能被推迟到“改天”。
Child’s Angel
Once upon a time there was a child ready to be born.So one day he asked God，“They tell me you are sending me to earth tomorrow but how am I going to live there being so small and helpless？”
God replied，“Among the many angels，I chose one for you.She will be waiting for you and will take care of you.”
But the child wasn’t sure he really wanted to go.“But tell me，here in Heaven，I don’t do anything else but sing and smile，that’s enough for me to be happy.”
“Your angel will sing for you and will also smile for you every day.And you will feel your angel’s love and be happy.”
“And how am I going to be able to understand when people talk to me，”the child continued，“if I don’t know the language that men talk？”
God patted him on the head and said，“Your angel will tell you the most beautiful and sweet words you will ever hear，and with much patience and care，your angel will teach you how to speak.”
“And what am I going to do when I want to talk to you？”
But God had an answer for that question too.“Your angel will place your hands together and will teach you how to pray.”
“I’ve heard that on earth there are bad men，who will protect me？”
“Your angel will defend you even if it means risking her life！”
“But I will always be sad because I will not see you anymore，”the child continued warily.
God smiled on the young one.“Your angel will always talk to you about me and will teach you the way for you to come back to me，even though I will always be next to you.”
At that moment there was much peace in Heaven，but voices from earth could already be heard.The child knew he had to start on his journey very soon.He asked God one more question，softly，“Oh God，if I am about to leave now，please tell me my angel’s name.”
God touched the child on the shoulder and answered，“Your angel’s name is not hard to remember.You will simply call her Mommy.”