From the Heart
By Nancy McBee
When I was fourteen years old (same age as my daughter is today), my mom and I didn’t have money for a Christmas dinner, much less gifts. I knew she was sad about it, and I was determined we wouldn’t let it get us down. Homemade gifts are nice, but I wasn’t imaginative and too broke for supplies. I decided to give my mom something I treasured myself---the one nice piece of jewelry I owned, a gold cross necklace.
I cleaned it, made sure there were no knots in the chain and wrapped it in the prettiest paper I could find. I was so excited, I couldn’t wait for her to open it.
Single moms have it hard (as I know firsthand now), and I really wanted to see her smile. We always opened our gifts on Christmas Even night, and that afternoon, I could wait no longer.
I asked if we could “have Christmas” early. I anticipated that Christmas more than when I knew I was getting a lot of nice gifts. I didn’t expect to get anything that year. It was about giving.
I handed her the little box, hugged and kissed her and wished her a Merry Christmas. I waited anxiously for her to open it but she just sat there with the box in her hands and looked at it.
I remember the look on Mom’s face was a mixture of sadness and serenity. She knew her greatest gift to me was her love. After what seemed a long time, she looked at me and said, “I have something for you, too.”
She reached into her pocket, pulled out another small box, placed it in my hands and told me although it was not much, it was filled with love.
I was quite anxious and a little scared. I knew money was tight and hoped Mom hadn’t spent money on something we couldn’t afford.
There was a little velvet box inside and when I lifted the lid, there was a tiny ring with a diamond chip in the center. In a note, she told me the ring was twenty-three years old, she hoped it brought me good luck… and “I love you”.
I got a huge lump in my throat and looked at her. She smiled and told me it had been her wedding band from my dad. It was now mine. I slipped it on my finger and hugged my mom.
She opened my gift and when she saw the necklace, big tears filled her eyes. She asked me to put it on her. She held the necklace and told me she thought it was out best Christmas ever. I could only nod my head in agreement.
This Christmas, I give thanks for Mon and treasure every memory we shared. You see, my mom has advanced Alzheimer’s disease and no longer knows me. But I look at “our” ring and remember her gentle, wise spirit and give thanks God blessed me with her.
But that’s not the end of the story.
Our home was burglarized four years ago. One of the items stolen was that little ring. I had left all my jewelry at home for safekeeping, because it was Memorial Day weekend and I was going to the lake. I was totally heartbroken when I found out the ring was gone. Of course, so were her diamond rings, my wedding band, engagement ring, etc., but it was that ring I grieved for the most.
I wrote a letter to our local paper and begged whoever stole it to “PLEASE return it by main anonymously.”
A few weeks went by with no response and then one day a police detective showed up at my door. He held out a tissue and asked to identify the item inside.
It was my ring! I have never found out where or how he got it, but it remains on my finger to this day.
(Chosen from P 15，《海外英语》， 2004年4月
骨血两代情
十四岁那年（如今正是我女儿的年龄）， 正值圣诞节日，可妈妈和我身无分文，一贫如洗。奢望丰盛的晚餐，渴望喜爱的礼物， 无疑是痴人说梦。妈妈为此而伤心难过，我心里很清楚。于是，我暗暗下决心，不能因缺钱而过不上快乐的圣诞节日。亲手做份礼物确实很有意义，可我天生愚钝，即使有个什么好的想法，身无分文的我，又何以购买材料呢？想来想去，还是把珍爱的东西送给妈妈做圣诞礼物， 即我的项链。那是一条带金制十字架的项链，样式很美观。
我小心擦抹干净，放在精选的包装纸上，轻轻地抚平链条，就精心地包装起来。想到礼物的特殊意义，内心很激动，恨不得妈妈马上打开礼物，重温圣诞的快乐。
单亲家庭的妈妈生活得都很艰难。现在我能感受到我妈妈生活得并不容易。因此，真想让妈妈快乐，真想亲眼看到妈妈脸上绽放出节日的微笑。过去，我们都是在圣诞前夜打开礼物。可是现在还是圣诞节前一天的下午， 我好希望妈妈现在就能看到我送给她的礼物。
整个下午漫漫悠长，内心不停地问：“能不能快一点拥有我们母子两人的圣诞节？”在这个圣诞节来临之际，因为我压根儿就没有报任何希望，所以内心向往的不再是收到许多心爱的礼物， 而急切地盼望着送给妈妈一份特殊的礼物。
除夕夜终于到了。我把小小礼盒递给妈妈，接着深情地她给拥抱和亲吻， 并祝愿她节日快乐。 我站在妈妈的身边，迫不及待地想看到她亲手打开礼物，可是妈妈只是坐在那里，双手握着小小礼盒，两眼紧紧盯着它。她的脸显得很沉着，但也流露出伤感， 这一切我还记忆犹新。妈妈心里也明白我最珍爱的礼物莫过于母爱。时间似乎过了很久， 妈妈才抬起头，看着我说：“我也有礼物给你。”
她把手伸进口袋，掏出一个小盒子，放在我手上，并且说：“东西算不了什么，只是我的一分心意。”
当时的心情，一方面，想急切地知道礼物是什么；另一方面又有点不知所措。因为我知道家里很缺钱，所以内心深怕妈妈花钱买了家里根本买不起的东西。
打开一看，里面是一个丝绒缠绕的精致小匣子，用手指轻轻掀开盒盖，里面装着一枚镶着钻石的小戒指，和一张小纸条，上面写着：这枚戒指伴随我二十三年了，希望能给你好运…… 和“我爱你”三个字。
我喉咙哽咽着，抬起头看着她。她微笑着对我说：“这是你爸爸给我的结婚戒指，现在给你了。”我把它戴在手指上，然后深情地拥抱着妈妈。
妈妈打开我送给他的小礼盒， 里面是一条项链。顿时，两眼泪珠欲滴。她要我亲手给她戴上， 然后说：“这个圣诞节我们都收到了最珍贵的礼物。” 彼时彼刻的我只能点头默认，无法张口言语表达。
事隔多年后的今天，又逢一个圣诞节。我依然怀着一颗感激妈妈的心。我回味着过去经历着的母爱， 妈妈缅怀着昔日难忘的岁月。虽然母亲患了早老年痴呆症而不知道我是谁了， 但是一看到“情系母亲和我”的戒指， 我脑门就闪现着母亲慈祥的笑容和聪慧的目光。能有这样一个母亲，真应该感谢天感谢地。
故事至此并没有结束。
四年前的一天，既是烈士纪念日，又逢周末，所以打算到湖边转转。为了安全，我把所有饰物都放在家里。可是小偷在夜间潜入到了我们的家里，盗走了很多东西。当我发现妈妈给我的戒指不见了时，我伤心极了。被偷走的还有妈妈的钻石戒指，我的订婚戒指以及结婚戒指， 但是最让我伤痛的还是妈妈送给我的那枚戒指。
我给当地一家报纸写了封信，要求在报上等一则恳求小偷的信息：敬请以匿名的方式把这枚戒指还给我。
几周过去，依然音信全无。有一天一位警察突然来到我家门前，双手摊开一张包装纸，叫我认领里面的东西。
我的戒指！我惊喜地叫着。至于警察在什么地方发现的，以及怎么弄到手的， 我从没问津过。从此，那枚戒指一直戴在我的手上，伴我到今日。
.: 
