記憶的盒子

After having been settled in our new home for almost a year， I decided to finish unpacking the last few boxes. Hidden low in the stack was a box simply marked “Nick”. Excitement jolted my empty-nest heart upon seeing the name of my eldest son， who now lives eleven hundred miles away.

Delighted， I spent hours poring through the artwork， awards and report cards that propped my memory door wide open and let the days of his childhood come home.

I found his soccer “trading card” at age six and a Mothers Day card from the year he was nine with coupons for extra chores， neck rubs， and breakfast in bed. I found an award Nick won in second grade for top sales in a school fundraiser. First place in the entire elementary school. Even at the age of seven， he had a way with people. Next I found an envelope addressed to Nick in my own handwriting.

“For Nick to read when he is grown，” the envelope said. This particular letter was dated Mothers Day fifteen years ago. He had been in kindergarten， and reading it brought back memories of a day I realized what a truly selfless， kind child I had been blessed with.

Dear Nicholas，

Today was Mothers Day. As I watch your beautiful sleeping face， I wanted to write this letter to give you later so you will always know how much joy you bring me.

You gave me the best present Ive ever received today！ It has a little story behind it that I will treasure forever. You have been diligently saving your allowance for weeks to buy some material for Grandma to make a teepee for you. You had $7.00 saved last week， but you asked me to take you to a nearby boutique where handmade crafts （which I love?。?were sold. You were so cute， watching me as I looked at things， and if I liked something， you would ask how much it cost. We found an adorable little teddy bear with an antique lace collar and a ribbon tied around its neck and a ring attached. You pretended you loved it and even tried on the ring. You were very sneaky for a five-year-old！ You bought the bear all by yourself and said you were sorry， but you spent all your money and would just make me something for Mothers Day.

This morning you woke me up with a big grin and a package wrapped in paper towels and duct tape. You were so proud and excited！ There inside was the little bear that I will always treasure. You sacrificed your teepee for me.

I am so proud of your sweet， generous spirit and the many ways every single day that you bring me joy. You are truly special and I am honored to be your mom.endprint

Love，

Mom

I still have the bear and the little ring. And Nick did get his teepee. I smile at the memories and place my letter for Nick in an envelope to mail to him. I hope reading it will remind him what a miracle he is and how blessed I feel to be his mother.

Also tucked inside the “Nick” box was a little zip-lock bag with a tiny baby tooth. “Nicks first tooth” was written in marker on the bag， and a folded piece of lined grade-school handwriting paper was stapled to the bag. I carefully removed the paper and read the note in his awkward， just-learning-how-to-write printing.

Dear Tooth Fairy，

I love you. Please leave me a lot of money.

From your best friend，

Nick

P.S. Dont keep my tooth.

I laughed until I cried. How I missed my little guy！Now twenty-one， Nick has his own life and a fiancée.

This unexpected trip down memory lane was the best way I could think of to spend my Saturday. This is one box I will never unpack and put away. Its definitely one to keep close by and on days when my heart longs for my first-born， I will dig it out， open a box of tissues， and let the memories come home again.

搬到新房子快一年了，我決定整理一下帶過來的最后那幾個盒子。在這堆盒子底下不起眼的地方，有一個盒子，上面只標注了兩個字：尼克。尼克是我的大兒子，這會兒突然看見他的名字，本來空落落的心頓時為之一振：尼克現在可住在離我1 700多公里遠的地方啊。

在接下來的幾個小時里，我帶著愉悅的心情細細地翻看著盒子里的那些畫兒、獎狀和成績報告單。記憶的大門就此打開，尼克兒時的場景又回到家中，一幕幕在我眼前浮現。

我找到了他六歲時收藏的足球球星“交換卡”，還有他九歲時送給我的母親節賀卡，上面還畫了很多“優惠券”，表示他可以額外提供做家務、按摩脖子、送早餐到床邊等服務。我還找到了尼克上二年級時得到的一張獎狀，獎勵他在學校的籌集善款活動中賣東西最多——在整個小學里排名第一。當時他只有七歲，但向人推銷起東西來很有一套。接著，我又找到了一個信封，信是寫給尼克的，信封上的筆跡是我的。

信封上寫著“致長大后的尼克”。信上的日期是15年前的母親節。那會兒他還在上幼兒園。讀著這封信，我漸漸回想起那天發生的點點滴滴，正是在那一天，我意識到上帝賜給了我一個多么無私、善良的孩子。

親愛的尼古拉斯：

今天是母親節?？粗闼瘔糁衅恋男∧?，我突然很想給你寫這封信，等你長大后交給你。這樣，你就會知道，你給我帶來了多少歡樂。

今天，你送給了我一份禮物，這是我收到過的最好的禮物！這份禮物的背后有一個小故事，我將會把它永遠珍藏于心。這幾個星期以來，你一直在辛苦地積攢零花錢，為的是買些布料讓奶奶給你縫一個帳篷。上周，你終于攢夠了7美元，你卻讓我帶你去附近的一個精品店轉轉，那兒專賣一些手工藝品（是我的最愛！）。你真的好可愛，我看東西的時候，你就在一邊觀察我，要是看見我喜歡什么，你就會問這東西多少錢。我們發現了一個非?？蓯鄣男√┑闲埽汗诺涞睦俳z領口，脖子上圍了一條絲帶，泰迪熊附著在一枚戒指上。你假裝很喜歡，并且還試了試那枚戒指。對于一個只有五歲的孩子來說，你還真挺狡猾的呢！你用自己的錢買下了這只小熊，還跟我說你很抱歉，因為你把自己所有的錢都花了，母親節就只能自己做個禮物送我了。

今天早晨，你把我叫醒，臉上是燦爛的笑容，手里拿著一個用紙巾和膠帶包好的盒子。你看上去既自豪又興奮！盒子里裝的正是你買的那只小熊，它將是我永遠珍藏的寶貝。為了我，你放棄了你的帳篷。

我為你的貼心與慷慨而自豪，也為你每一天帶給我的快樂而驕傲。你真是一個特別的孩子，能做你的媽媽真是我的榮幸！

愛你的媽媽

我到現在還保留著那只小熊和那枚小小的戒指。尼克也終于得到了他的帳篷。想到這一段往事，我欣然微笑，然后把這封信裝進一個信封，準備寄給尼克。我希望他讀這封信時能夠知曉，他是怎樣的一個奇跡，而作為他的媽媽，我又何其有幸！

在這個“尼克”盒子里，還塞有一個小自封袋，里面是一顆小小的乳牙。袋子的標簽上寫著“尼克的第一顆牙”。還有一張折起來的紙和袋子訂在一起，這是一張小學生練字用的橫格紙。我小心地把紙取下來，這是尼克寫的一張小條，字體有些笨拙，一看就是剛開始學寫字的孩子寫的。紙條上寫著：

親愛的牙齒仙女：

我愛你。請給我好多好多錢吧。

你最好的朋友，尼克

另：請把我的牙齒還給我吧。

我哈哈大笑，直到笑得淚流滿面。我多么懷念我的小家伙啊！尼克現在21歲了，有了自己的生活，還有了未婚妻。

這次不經意間的往事重溫是我能想到的度過這個周六的最好辦法。這是一個我永遠不會打開之后就束之高閣的盒子。這無疑是一個要放在身邊的盒子，當我想念我的第一個孩子的時候，我會把它拿出來，再打開一盒紙巾，讓記憶再次慢慢地涌上心頭。endprint