Stone

It is a beautiful poem, I have read it many times today. I love when
you send me things that make me think...

I am glad you accepted the stone. If inanimate things could absorb
energy and memories, there would be years of thought in that small
rock. The day you gave me the beans it made me think immediately of
that rock, and I knew then I wanted you to have it. My Mom has my
grandfathers stone, and it is a small tradition that not many people
know about. I don't even know where exactly it originated.

I loved being near to you the past couple days, and I have been so
happy. Sometimes I have felt that you and I were slipping away from
each other, and it makes me sad to even consider that possibility. I
am trying as hard as I can to remain patient, and to hope only for the
slightest chance that you and I can find our happiness together
someday.  As remote as that sounds, I dream of it, I see it in my
mind. I feel it in my heart.

I really feel that you have been such an angel to me over the past six
months. When you ask me why I love you, it is so hard to put into
words all the emotions I feel about you...it is beyond just a normal
attraction, and the reasons for my loving you are deeper than you
know. I think you and I want the same things out of life, and I love
that you appreciate the small things that make life a beautiful thing.
There have been times in my life where I felt that life wasn't worth
the heartache, the struggle, the pain. Knowing you has given me
strength on many levels, though that alone is not why I feel the way I
do about you. I believe God brings certain people together for a
reason, and I need no other proof than how I feel when I feel your
heart beat next to mine.

We have a complicated set of circumstances, don't we? ;)

All day long I have been thinking about how to answer your
question...about why I love you. I don't think there is a single, easy
answer...I feel overwhelmed when I try to generalize our relationship.
I do want you to know that having you in my life has reinvigorated my
spirit, it has brought me desires, and lifted my heart. I can never
thank you enough, but I want a lifetime to try...

There was a time in my life where I could never show certain things to
people, certain thoughts, emotions, experiences...I didn't have the
strength to be exposed for all my mistakes, my weaknesses and fears. I
want you to know all those things about me and more. I have never felt
so strong a desire to share my life with someone as I feel with you. I
understand why that is hard for you to believe, difficult for you to
understand.

I can't wait to see you...I long for the day when you and I can be closer...

I hope your evening has been a good one, Jen...

Love always,

Dan



On 1/4/06, Jennifer Zhang <[e-mail]> wrote:
> Dan,
>
> Thanks for the stone. I know how important and precious it is to you. I am
> holding it now and I feel I am touching your hand...
>
> BTW, I didn't have the chance to say that you look very nice tonight...and
> young.
>
> This is a popular Chinese poem/song in recent years. I was surprised to find
> out tonight that someone translated part of it into English and said that
> the author was Tagore. I finished translating the rest of the poem and made
> some changes to the version on the Internet. It is by no means a decent
> translation since I did it in a hurry and I don't know anything about
> writing a poem. But it is a very touching poem, and I want to share it with
> you. There must be a lot errors, so feel free to laugh at me:).
>
> The Furthest Distance
>
> The furthest distance in the world
> Is not between trees,
> But two trees grow from the same root
> Yet cannot lean close to each other in the wind
>
>
> The furthest distance in the world
> Is not between these two lonely trees,
> But two stars stare into each other
> Yet whose orbits never meet
>
> The furthest distance in the world
> Is not between the orbits of the stars,
> But they finally meet
> Yet only for a split of a second
>
> The furthest distance in the world
> Is not that they meet and lose each other,
> But that even before they meet,
> They are doomed to be apart
>
> The furthest distance in the world
> Is the distance between a bird and a fish
> One flies high up in the sky,
> the other swim deeply in the water
>
> The furthest distance in the world
> Is not between life and death,
> But when I stand in front of you
> Yet you don't know that
> I love you.
>
> The furthest distance in the world
> Is not when I stand in front of you
> Yet you can't see my love,
> But when we know we love each other
> Yet we cannot be together.
>
> The furthest distance in the world
> Is not that we have to be apart,
> But when I cannot resist the yearning
> Yet have to pretend you have never been in my heart.
>
> The furthest distance in the world
> Is not struggling against the tides
> But using one's indifferent heart
> To dig an uncrossable river
> Against the one who loves you.
>
>
>
>           最遠的距離
> ???
>  ????世界上最遠的距離
> ????不是 樹與樹的距離
> ????而是 同根生長的樹枝
> ????卻無法在風中相依
>
> ????世界上最遠的距離
>  ????不是 樹枝無法相依
>  ????而是 相互了望的星星
>  ????卻沒有交匯的軌跡
> ????
>         世界上最遠的距離
> ????不是 星星之間的軌跡
> ????而是 縱然軌跡交匯
> ????卻在轉瞬間無處尋覓
> ????
>         世界上最遠的距離
> ????不是 瞬間便無處尋覓
> ????而是 尚未相遇
> ????便注定無法相聚
> ????
>         世界上最遠的距離
> ????是魚與飛鳥的距離
>  ????一個在天,一個卻深潛海底
>  ????
>         世界上最遙遠的距離
>
>         不是生和死
>  ????而是我就站在你麵前
>  ????你卻不知道我愛你
>
>  ????世界上最遙遠的距離
> ????不是我就站在你麵前
> ????你卻不知道我愛你
> ????而是 明明知道彼此相愛
>  ????卻不能在一起
>
>  ????世界上最遙遠的距離
>  ????不是明明知道彼此相愛
>  ????卻不能在一起
>  ????而是　明明無法抵擋這股想念
>  ???? 卻還得故意裝作絲毫沒有把你
>  ????放在心裏
>
>  ????世界上最遙遠的距離
>  ????不是明明無法抵擋這股想念
>  ????卻還得故意裝作絲毫沒有把你
> ????放在心裏
> ????而是 用自己冷漠的心
>  ????對愛你的人
>  ????掘了一道無法跨越的溝渠
>
>
>