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I was 15 when my mother died. As I walked out of church after the funeral, it hit me: we never got to have one of those heart-to-heart mother-daughter talks.
Then, ahead of me, I saw Dad carrying my three-year-old brother, Michael. His cheek was pressed against Dad’s dark suit, and the finger he was usually sucking had fallen from his mouth. He’d gone to sleep during the service and now, on our father’s broad shoulder, he felt safe. At that moment, I believe, God had a plan for us: missing Mom so much, we’d learn to know Dad.
Our father had always been loving, but he was the authority figure, working hard as a high-school teacher. If I wanted to go out on Saturday, I’d have to ask his permission. He’d say, “We’ll see,” and he would not give a definitive yes until he was satisfied all my chores were done. He always had Mom talk to us about personal things. He’d get embarrassed—it was his upbringing, I guess.
Now here he was with three teenage girls on his hands. Suddenly he had to confront things like dating and brass. The man who seldom showed his emotions became a man who’d listen to all our deepest heartaches.
When I was in college, my boyfriend, Paul, broke up with me. I thought it was the end of the world. When I came home for the weekend, dad saw something was wrong the minute I walked in the door.
“Do you want to talk about it?” he asked. I turned to him, and everything spilled out. He didn’t have a lot of answers, but he was there to listen. I never felt that a mom could have done better.
Dad’s support helped me see things through: Paul and I decided to get married. And when the time came, Dad insisted on doing the reception. The day before the wedding, there he stood in or out cluttered kitchen, peeling potatoes, fixing sandwiches and then packing everything in ice-cream buckets to take to the church.
I was so happy to be getting married that I never thought I’d be a nervous bride. But right after Dad walked me down the aisle, my chin started quivering. When I looked over at him, he was crying too.
Paul and I now have three kids, and Grandpa is part of their life too. Every Thanksgiving and Christmas we go back to Dad’s. and he cooks. Then recently we decided with my brothers and sisters to take a camping trip the way we used to with Mom.
We camped out for a week—12 of us—Dad and all his kids and grandchildren. It rained the whole time, but Dad loved it. I think if Mom was watching, seeing us together and strong, she was happy for us too.
Dad helped me see that every person is here for a reason, affecting others in ways we cannot see. We all miss Mom more than words can express, but we were given the best mom a dad could be.
我15岁那年，母亲去世了。葬礼结束后，我走出教堂，心里阵阵发怵：再不会有母女之间推心置腹的交谈了。
猛然，我看到爸爸抱着三岁的弟弟迈克走在前面。弟弟的脸颊垂压在爸爸深色的西服上，老爱放在嘴里吮吸的手指已滑落下来。葬礼时，弟弟就睡着了，这会儿，扒在爸爸宽阔的肩膀上，他好安稳。此时我突然感觉到，上帝已为我们安排好了： 太思念母亲会让我们学会了解父亲。
父亲一直很关爱我们，他在一所中学工作，我们一直视他为权威，周六想出去，就得先征得他的允许。他总是说“等会儿”，直到看到我做完了所有家务，感到都令他满意，才会答应。我们的个人事情他都是让母亲跟我们谈的，他觉得和我们谈这些很尴尬。我想这便是他的教育方式。
现在他得独自照管我们三个十多岁的女孩了。他突然得亲自面对诸如约会、金钱之类的事情。以前很少表露情感的父亲得开始倾听我们的心思，了解我们的伤心事。
上大学时我的男友保罗跟我断交，当时我简直如临世界末日。周末回家，一进屋父亲就感觉出了毛病。
“想跟我说说吗？”父亲问。我转向父亲，向他滔滔述说自己的痛苦。父亲并没怎么答话，可他在倾听我的述说。我想此时不会有哪位母亲比他做得更出色。
父亲的扶助帮我度过了难关。后来我和保罗决定结婚。届时爸爸坚持要做接待工作。结婚前一天，爸爸站在杂乱的厨房里外忙着削土豆，做三明治，然后把做好的一切都装进乳白色小桶带进教堂。
要结婚了，我真的好幸福，根本没想到自己会是一个紧张的新娘。可当父亲领着我沿着教堂的走廊步入圣堂时，我的下巴直抖。我看着父亲时，他已泪流满面。
现在我和保罗已有了三个孩子，外公成了他们生活的一部分。每个感恩节和圣诞节我们回爸爸家，爸爸掌勺。最近我和弟妹们决定搞一个露营旅行，像小时候常跟母亲一块的那样。
我们露营了一周，总共十二个人：父亲和他的孩子和孙辈们。其间一直在下雨，可父亲很高兴。我想，假如母亲看到我们如此和睦、健康，她会很高兴的。
父亲教我看到，这世界上的每一个人，都在以自己都没有意识到的方式影响着别人。对母亲的思念没法用语言表达，但父亲给予了一个最好的母亲所能给予的爱。
Then, ahead of me, I saw Dad carrying my three-year-old brother, Michael. His cheek was pressed against Dad’s dark suit, and the finger he was usually sucking had fallen from his mouth. He’d gone to sleep during the service and now, on our father’s broad shoulder, he felt safe. At that moment, I believe, God had a plan for us: missing Mom so much, we’d learn to know Dad.
Our father had always been loving, but he was the authority figure, working hard as a high-school teacher. If I wanted to go out on Saturday, I’d have to ask his permission. He’d say, “We’ll see,” and he would not give a definitive yes until he was satisfied all my chores were done. He always had Mom talk to us about personal things. He’d get embarrassed—it was his upbringing, I guess.
Now here he was with three teenage girls on his hands. Suddenly he had to confront things like dating and brass. The man who seldom showed his emotions became a man who’d listen to all our deepest heartaches.
When I was in college, my boyfriend, Paul, broke up with me. I thought it was the end of the world. When I came home for the weekend, dad saw something was wrong the minute I walked in the door.
“Do you want to talk about it?” he asked. I turned to him, and everything spilled out. He didn’t have a lot of answers, but he was there to listen. I never felt that a mom could have done better.
Dad’s support helped me see things through: Paul and I decided to get married. And when the time came, Dad insisted on doing the reception. The day before the wedding, there he stood in or out cluttered kitchen, peeling potatoes, fixing sandwiches and then packing everything in ice-cream buckets to take to the church.
I was so happy to be getting married that I never thought I’d be a nervous bride. But right after Dad walked me down the aisle, my chin started quivering. When I looked over at him, he was crying too.
Paul and I now have three kids, and Grandpa is part of their life too. Every Thanksgiving and Christmas we go back to Dad’s. and he cooks. Then recently we decided with my brothers and sisters to take a camping trip the way we used to with Mom.
We camped out for a week—12 of us—Dad and all his kids and grandchildren. It rained the whole time, but Dad loved it. I think if Mom was watching, seeing us together and strong, she was happy for us too.
Dad helped me see that every person is here for a reason, affecting others in ways we cannot see. We all miss Mom more than words can express, but we were given the best mom a dad could be.
我15岁那年，母亲去世了。葬礼结束后，我走出教堂，心里阵阵发怵：再不会有母女之间推心置腹的交谈了。
猛然，我看到爸爸抱着三岁的弟弟迈克走在前面。弟弟的脸颊垂压在爸爸深色的西服上，老爱放在嘴里吮吸的手指已滑落下来。葬礼时，弟弟就睡着了，这会儿，扒在爸爸宽阔的肩膀上，他好安稳。此时我突然感觉到，上帝已为我们安排好了： 太思念母亲会让我们学会了解父亲。
父亲一直很关爱我们，他在一所中学工作，我们一直视他为权威，周六想出去，就得先征得他的允许。他总是说“等会儿”，直到看到我做完了所有家务，感到都令他满意，才会答应。我们的个人事情他都是让母亲跟我们谈的，他觉得和我们谈这些很尴尬。我想这便是他的教育方式。
现在他得独自照管我们三个十多岁的女孩了。他突然得亲自面对诸如约会、金钱之类的事情。以前很少表露情感的父亲得开始倾听我们的心思，了解我们的伤心事。
上大学时我的男友保罗跟我断交，当时我简直如临世界末日。周末回家，一进屋父亲就感觉出了毛病。
“想跟我说说吗？”父亲问。我转向父亲，向他滔滔述说自己的痛苦。父亲并没怎么答话，可他在倾听我的述说。我想此时不会有哪位母亲比他做得更出色。
父亲的扶助帮我度过了难关。后来我和保罗决定结婚。届时爸爸坚持要做接待工作。结婚前一天，爸爸站在杂乱的厨房里外忙着削土豆，做三明治，然后把做好的一切都装进乳白色小桶带进教堂。
要结婚了，我真的好幸福，根本没想到自己会是一个紧张的新娘。可当父亲领着我沿着教堂的走廊步入圣堂时，我的下巴直抖。我看着父亲时，他已泪流满面。
现在我和保罗已有了三个孩子，外公成了他们生活的一部分。每个感恩节和圣诞节我们回爸爸家，爸爸掌勺。最近我和弟妹们决定搞一个露营旅行，像小时候常跟母亲一块的那样。
我们露营了一周，总共十二个人：父亲和他的孩子和孙辈们。其间一直在下雨，可父亲很高兴。我想，假如母亲看到我们如此和睦、健康，她会很高兴的。
父亲教我看到，这世界上的每一个人，都在以自己都没有意识到的方式影响着别人。对母亲的思念没法用语言表达，但父亲给予了一个最好的母亲所能给予的爱。