My BestMistake我最棒的錯誤

Diane Stark

景一選譯

"It's the most wonderful time of the year，" my seven-year-old son. Nathan， sang with ahuge grin 1. I love Christmas. I do. It' s wonderful and warm and brings families together. It' sa chance to show the people we love how we really feel about them.

But it's also busy， bordering 2 0n chaotic 3. My to-do list is longer during the month ofDecember than at any other time of the year.

But I really do love Christmas.

One evening in early December. I flopped 4 down on the couch next to my husband， Erie.I'd spent all day decorating 5 the house for the season， and I was tired.

"The tree looks great， honey，" Eric said.

"Thanks. It's a shame it will only be up for three weeks before I have to spend anotherwhole day taking it all down again，" I shrugged 6. “It's pretty， but sometimes I wonder if it'sworth all the effort."

He smiled. "I told you last year that it's okay with me if we don't decorate. I know it'sa lot of work."

I looked around the house， loving the cozy feel the decorations provided. "I can't stopdecorating for Christmas，" I said. "Think of how upset the kids would be."

His smirk grew bigger. "Oh， yes， it's all for the kids."

I nudged 7 him with my elbow 8. "Okay， I admit it. I love it. too."

But the next day， I was not loving it quite as much. I had a long list of other Christmas-related tasks. and nothing was going right. The previous 9 week. I'd sent my kids' wish lists tomy mom， my mother-in-law， and my former mother-in-law. who was still very much a part ofour family. I'd been careful to monitor Nathan's lists to make sure that he didn't ask morethan one grandma for the same toy. I'd told him to make three separate lists， one for eachgrandma. He 'd done a great job creating the lists with about the same number of toys on eachlist but no duplicate 10 items. He brought them to me， clearly excited about his carefullycrafted ll lists.

I set them by the computer. "I'll send them to your grandmas tomorrow morning，" I toldhim. The next morning， I scanned12 the three lists into the computer. And then I e-mailed theexacl same list to each grandma. （I don't know how it happened except to say it was early，and I hadn' t had coffee yet.）

“這是一年中最美好的時光。”我七歲的兒子內森大笑著唱道。我喜歡圣誕節，我確實喜歡。它美妙而溫暖，將家人聚集在一起。這是個向我們所愛的人展示我們對他們真實感受的機會。

但那也會很忙，近乎混亂。12月份，我的待辦事項比一年中任何時候都長。

但我真的很喜歡圣誕節。

12月初的一個晚上，我重重地倒在丈夫埃里克旁邊的沙發上。為了這一季，我花了一整天的時間裝飾房子，我累了。

“這棵樹看起來很棒，親愛的。”埃里克說。

“謝謝。遺憾的是，只會留三個星期的時間，然后我得再花一整天的時間把它全部拆掉。”我聳聳肩說，“它很漂亮，但有時我想知道所有的努力是否值得。”

他笑了，說：“我去年告訴過你，我覺得我們不裝飾也可以。我知道這是一個大工程。”

我環顧了一下房子，喜歡上了裝飾帶來的溫暖感覺。“我不能不為圣誕節做裝飾。”我說，“想想孩子們會有多難過。”

他的笑容越來越大。“哦，是的，都是為了孩子們。”

我用胳膊肘輕推他。“好吧，我承認。我也喜歡。”

但第二天，我就不是那么喜歡它了。我有一長串與圣誕節有關的任務，但全都不順利。上個星期，我把孩子們的心愿單發給了我的媽媽、我的婆婆，還有我以前的婆婆，她仍然是我們家的一員。我一直小心地盯著內森的清單，以確保他不會向一個以上的（外）祖母要同樣的玩具。我讓他列三張不同的單子，每個（外）祖母一張。他在列清單上做得很好，每個清單上的玩具數量差不多，但沒有重復的東西。他把它們交給我，顯然對精心列出的清單感到興奮。

我把它們放留在了電腦旁。“我明天早上把它們送到你（外）祖母那兒去。”我告訴他說。第二天早上，我把三張清單掃描進電腦。然后我給每位（外）祖母發了一份完全一樣的清單。（我不知道是怎么回事，只能說是因為時間太早，我還沒喝咖啡。）

Worse still. I didn't realize the mistake until the grandmas started texting me pictures ofthe toys they'd bought. Three Star Wars lighr sabers 13_even in the same color. Threeidentica1 14 Star Wars Lego sets. Three of the same video game. Three of everything he'd askfor on one list. And nothing on the other two lists.

And it was all my fault.

"I was so careless." I moaned 15 to Eric. "How can I tell the grandmas that two of themhave to return all of the toys they just bought？ And how do I choose which two to tell？"

"I'm sorry， honey，" he said. "But I'm sure they 'll understand. Mistakes happen."

"What mistake'？" Nathan said.

I didn't realize he was listening to our conversation. I sighed and explained thesituation. "I'm really sorry，" I said. "I goofed 16， but I'm going to talk to the grandmas andtry to fix it."

His shoulders slumped 17 with disappointment. But an hour later. he came back， wearinga determined look on his face. "Mom. don't talk to the grandmas，" he said. "The number oftoys on just one of my lists is more than some kids get. I don't need all those toys."

"But the grandmas already bought them." I said. "So. if I don't call them， you 'll havethree of the exact same toy."

He nodded. "I know. That's why I'm going lo give away the other two to kids who don'tget much for Christmas.

Tears flooded my eyes. My silly mistake had turned into a proud parenting moment.

We talked to the grandmas. who all agreed that Nathan's selfless 18 decision should bepraised. The grandmas kindly understood that I'd sent the lists before being properlycaffeinated 19.

It's true that Christmas is the busiest time of the year. But no doubt. it' s also the best-especially when our kids remind us that it's not only about the decorations we put up， thegifts we receive. or even the food we enjoy. It' s about loving one another. It's about puttingothers ahead of ourselves.

Christmas is about giving to others to show them they are importanl to us.

Even when the giver is a seven-year-old boy and the gift is a Star Wars light saber.

And the recipient 20 is another child. A stranger whose only gift this Christmas might bethat toy.

It was the best mistake I ever made.

更糟糕的是，直到（外）祖母們開始給我發她們買的玩具的照片，我才意識到這個錯誤。三把《星球大戰》的光劍——甚至連顏色也是相同的，三套完全相同的《星球大戰》樂高玩具，三個相同的電子游戲。他其中一張愿望清單上的所有東西都有三份，而其他兩張清單上的東西則一個都沒有。

都是我的錯。

“我太不小心了。”我對埃里克抱怨道，“我怎么能告訴孩子的（外）祖母們，她們中有兩個人必須把剛買的玩具都退了呢？我該如何選擇告訴哪兩個人呢？”

“很遺憾，親愛的。”他說，“但我相信她們會理解的。總有出錯的時候。”

“什么錯誤？”內森說。

我不知道他在聽我們的談話。我嘆了口氣，解釋了現在的情況。“我真的很抱歉。”我說，“我搞砸了，但我要和你（外）祖母們談談，想辦法解決這個問題。”

他的肩膀因失望而耷拉下來。但一個小時后，他回來了，臉上帶著堅定的神情。“媽媽，別跟（外）祖母們說。”他說，“我僅一個清單上的玩具數量就比有些孩子得到的還要多。我不需要得到所有的那些玩具。”

“但是（外）祖母們已經買了。”我說，“所以，如果我不給她們打電話，你會有三份完全一樣的玩具。

他點頭。“我知道。這就是為什么我要把另外兩份送給圣誕節沒什么收獲的孩子的原因，”

我的眼中涌出淚水。我愚蠢的錯誤變成了一個令人驕傲的育兒時刻。

我們和孩子的（外）祖母們談了這事，她們都認為內森無私的決定值得稱贊。（外）祖母們好心地理解為我是在適當攝入咖啡因之前把清單發出去的。

圣誕節確實是一年中最忙的時候。但毫無疑問，也是最棒的一天——尤其是我們的孩子提醒了我們，這一天不在于擺放的裝飾、我們收到的禮物，甚至是我們喜歡的食物，而在于彼此相愛，先想到他人。

圣誕節在于送禮物給別人，讓他們知道他們對我們很重要。

即使送禮者是一個7歲的男孩，而禮物是一把《星球大戰》的光劍。

接受禮物的是另一個孩子，一個陌生人。他今年圣誕節唯一的禮物可能就是那個玩具。

這是我犯過的最棒的錯誤。

（英語原文選自：chickensoup.com）

[Notes]

1.grin[ɡr?n] v.露齒而笑

2.border[?b??d?（r）] v在……上鑲邊

3.chaotic[ke???t?k] adj.混亂的

4.flop[fl?p]v.撲通坐下

5.decorate [?dek??re?t] v.裝飾;布置

6.shrug[?r?ɡ]v，聳肩

7.nudge [n?d?]v.（用肘）輕推

8.elbow[?elb??] n.肘部

9.prcvious [?pri?v??s] adj。以前的;早先的10. duplicate [?dju?pl?k?t] adj.復制的

II. craft [krɑ?ft] v.精巧地制作

12. scan [sk?n]v.掃描;瀏覽

13. saber[?se?b?]n.軍刀;佩劍

14. identical [a??dent?kl] adj.完全相同的

15. moan [m??n] n.抱怨;呻吟

16. goof [ɡu?f] v.犯愚蠢的錯誤

17. slump [sl?mp] v.耷拉著

18. selfless [?selfl?s] adj.無私的

19. caffeinated [?k?f??ne?t?d] adj.受咖啡因刺激的

20. recipient [r??s?p??nt] n.接受者