为亲爱的母亲祈祷

Dear God,
　   Now that I am no longer young， I have some friends whose mothers have passed away． I have heard these sons and daughters say they never fully appreciated their mothers until it was too late to tell them．
　   I am blessed with the dear mother who is still alive．I appreciate her more each day． My mother does not change, but I do． As I grow older and wiser, I realize what an extraordinary person she is． How sad that I am unable to speak these words in her presence, but they flow easily from my pen．
　   How does a daughter begin to thank her mother for life itself? For the love, patience and just plain hard work that go into raising a child? For running after a toddler, for understanding a moody teenager, for tolerating a college student who knows everything? For waiting for the day when a daughter realizes her mother really is? How does a grown woman thank for a mother for continuing to be a mother？

       For being ready with advice（when asked）or remaining silent when it is most appreciated？For not saying:"I told you so", when she could have uttered these words dozens of times? For being essentially herself—loving, thoughtful, patient, and forgiving?
　　I don't know how, dear God, except to bless my mother as richly as she deserves and to help me live up to the example she has set．

       I pray that I will look as good in the eyes of my children as my mother looks in mine．
　　 A daughter

　　亲爱的上帝：
　　如今我已不再年轻，一些朋友的母亲已经去世了。我曾听这些子女们说过，他们从没有向母亲充分地表示过他们的感激之情，而等到要表达的时侯却为时已晚。

       幸运的是，我亲爱的母亲依然健在。我对她的感激之情与日俱增。母亲没有变，而我却变了。随着年岁和心智的增长，我认识到她是个非常了不起的人。这些话在她面前我难以启齿，但在笔下却可以轻易地写出来，这令我感到多么难过。
　　女儿该怎样开口感谢给予她生命的母亲？感谢她在抚养孩子时所付出的爱、耐心和无私的辛勤劳动？感谢她跟在蹒跚学步的孩子身后的奔跑，对情绪不定的少女的理解，以及对一个自以为是的大学生的宽容？感谢她等待女儿认识到她真是一位好母亲的这一天？一个成年女子该怎样感谢始终如一地对待她的母亲呢？感谢在被问到时她会及时提供的良言，和在不需要时她会保持的沉默？感谢她本来可以说上许多次但却没有说过一次的：“我告诉过你”? 感谢她始终不变的爱心、体贴周到、耐心与宽容厚道？
　　我不知道该怎样来表达，亲爱的上帝，除了请求你好好地保佑我的母亲——那是她该得到的——并帮助我向她一样。我祈愿在孩子的眼里我会如同母亲在我眼里一般好。
　　 一个女儿