尋找拉爾夫

（美國）麗絲·約翰遜

 陳榮生    譯

 （圖片欣賞——李健麗攝/湛江）

他們結(jié)婚48年了。

媽媽得了絕癥。通往終點的路是殘酷而漫長的,。爸爸停止了工作,，留在家里,。照顧媽媽是一項全職工作,。他的生意垮了,。我們靠存款度日,。

媽媽喜歡在家里過,。她想在家人、回憶和她所熟知的東西的圍繞下度過她最后的日子,。爸爸二話不說接受了,。

很多朋友過來幫忙，但爸爸卻是24小時全天候“值班”,。在最后的兩周,，我們把她送到安寧療護(hù)所。她需要專業(yè)的照顧了,。

爸爸睡在那里,，吃在那里，以確保媽媽感到溫暖,。她入睡后他仍然握著她的手,。

我曾勸過爸爸：“回家吧。休息一下,?！蔽也坏貌话阉s出去,，回家把自己收拾干凈。爸爸不想讓媽媽獨自度過,，哪怕是一分鐘,。

最后一刻到來時，爸爸跪在媽媽的床邊,。他知道,。她知道。她的手被溫柔地握在他的手中,。

看到媽媽的離去讓人很傷心,。但這也讓我看到了她從爸爸那里得到的奉獻(xiàn)、愛和非凡的關(guān)懷,。安寧療護(hù)所的員工也全都看到了,。

“你爸爸的奉獻(xiàn)真?zhèn)ゴ螅?/span>”一位護(hù)士渴望地說。

“我這一生從未見過,，”一位醫(yī)生說,。

后來發(fā)生了一件事，改變了我對愛情和人生的看法,。一位照顧了媽媽很長時間的護(hù)士走到我身邊。我仍能清楚地記得她的相貌,。

“麗絲,，”她說，“我有件事要說,。我在開始照顧你媽媽的時候已經(jīng)訂婚了,。”

“現(xiàn)在已經(jīng)解除了,，”她接著說,。

當(dāng)我表示同情的時候，她打斷了我的話,。

“麗絲,，不要感到遺憾。我不感到遺憾,。這是我的選擇,。我的男人沒法比得上你爸爸，拉爾夫,。

“我以前不知道世上還有這樣的奉獻(xiàn),。我已經(jīng)決定了，我要等到我找到一個像你爸爸那樣的男人為止,。

“我想要一位拉爾夫,。”

（譯自《父親改變了我的人生》）

您若認(rèn)為此文對教育有益，敬 請 傳 閱,、推 薦,、轉(zhuǎn) 載。

原文如下,，若有問題,，可留言，我將盡量回答,。

Finding a Ralph

contributed by Lise Johnson

They were married 48 years.

Mom became terminally ill. The road to the end was brutal and long. Dad stopped work and stayed home. Caring for Mom was a fulltime job. His business folded. We lived off savings.

Mom loved it at home. She wanted to spend her last days surrounded by family, memories, and the things she knew. Dad would have it no other way.

Friends pitched in to help, but Dad was “on duty” ’round the clock. In the final two weeks, we moved her to hospice. She needed professional care.

Dad slept there. Ate there. Ensured Mom was warm. He held her hand while she slept.

I’d urge Dad, “Go home. Take a break.” I had to kick him out just to go home and clean up. Dad did not want Mom to spend one single minute alone.

When the final moment arrived, Dad knelt next to Mom’s bed. He knew. She knew. Her hand was cupped gently in his.

It hurt badly to see Mom go. But it helped to see the devotion, the love, and the remarkable care she received from my dad. Others throughout the hospice saw it, as well.

“Your dad’s devotion,” said one nurse wistfully.

“Never in all my years,” a doctor shared.

And then something happened that changed my perspective on love, on life. A nurse who had spent considerable time with Mom approached me. I can still see her face clearly.

“Lise,” she said, “I have something to share. I was engaged when I started your mom’s care.”

“No longer,” she continued.

When I expressed sympathy, she interrupted.

“Lise, don’t be sorry. I’m not. This was my choice. My man was no match for your dad, Ralph.

“I didn’t know devotion like that existed in this world. I decided I would wait until I could find a man like your dad.

“I want a Ralph.”