夏日輕鬆美好的日子飛箭一般倏地過去了，兒子已經到新學校兩周，從悠哉悠哉的小學生一下變成忙忙碌碌的中學生了。女兒呢，在送了一撥又一撥她的同學離家上學之後，昨天一大早，先生把她送到機場，她自己出發去她的學校了。
臨上車子前，先生發現她的兩個大箱子都超重，我拿了兩個垃圾袋，裝了一袋衣服，另一袋一些書啊筆記本啊，還有好幾瓶護膚用品。 亞洲的女孩子最怕太陽，天天美白，一個個嫩得能掐出水來。她呢，整個夏天都在美黑：穿著比基尼，帶個小帽子，墨鏡，拿本書，躺在大太陽下暴曬。有時還要清空家裏，因為她要曬她的BUTT。
有媽媽跟我說送別孩子上大學時傷感得不行，連有些爸爸都哭了。我們在車庫裏忙亂地整箱子，稱重，已經耽誤了些時間，我還來不及進入狀態，急性子的先生已經把車子開走了。這時已經到兒子起床的時間了，他本來還說他要早起跟姐姐道別呢，嗯，都免禮了。
早上把她剩下的東西拿到郵局，用了兩個箱子寄去了。有媽媽建議用郵局的 Flat Rate Box給孩子寄東西。Flat Rate Box 最大的也不大，隻適合寄重而小的東西，所以那些護膚品筆記本書啊，我用了那個 Box，$18.9，那些衣服，體積大，用了另一個大箱子，$36，有點小貴，但比機場的罰款好多了。
回家清理她的房間時，很意外地，女兒在衣櫃抽屜裏給我們留了一封信。
這是全文：
Dear mama & Daddy,
I’m writing this the night before I leave for ... Often I don't know how to express my feelings to you because that is not how we communicate, but I wanted to thank you for being such amazing parents to me for the past 18 years of my life. Even when I’m a spoiled brat or a moody teenager, you have always supported me and given me more than I ever deserved. I took for granted the privilege of having a comfortable life and understanding, loving parents, and I wish I expressed more gratitude verbally to you, but that is not how I communicate. Going into college I promise I will work hard and try to repay you in the future for the life you gave me. Thank you for not only supporting my ambitions, but never pressuring me to be someone who I’m not. It’s hard to put into words how much I love this family and I feel bad that I haven’t expressed it enough while being home. I’m excited for ... and his journey in ... Even though I’m harsh on him, it’s because I don't want him to have a hard life. I hate when he plays video games and has bad manners. I don't want him to develop that materialistic mindset that I sometimes have.
Thank you for putting up with 18 years of my attitude and always putting me at such a high priority. I’m incredibly lucky to have such loving, understanding, caring, and self-sacrificing parents.
Love,
…
我想起我自己那年離家上學的情景。我父親送我到火車站，我竟然頭也不回地走了，任由他眼巴巴地目送著我，期望我回過頭跟他再次道別。
崇尚自然的田園媽偏偏遇上時尚的都市女。女兒對時尚的嗅覺和熱情遠遠超過她的鄉村土媽。前幾天我還在嘮叨，先生不以為然地說，我隻要她活得好好的就行了。父親愛女兒，絕對是真愛的一種。
女兒從小就不是那種會甜言蜜語的孩子，很有個性，除了很小時候寫的畫的卡片，長大後從來沒給我們寫過這類溫情書信，我常說她是帶刺的玫瑰。這兩天讀到想到她的信，總是感激涕零，懊悔不已。感謝上帝女兒終於懂事了，但又後悔她在家的那麽多日子，我沒有好好地珍惜，嘮叨多，誇獎少，耐心不夠。我這個後知後覺的媽呀！
孩子好，當媽的後知後覺，因為我們緊張著讓她們更好：)
和你一樣，還有一個在家，好好珍惜並享受這段時光。