我最思念的人（1/2）

My Most Uable Character

佚名/Anonyo

Maa’s face was radiant with pride.I khat everythg we had achieved or would achieve was becae of y parents.

When we were young children, y other was, especially, our ntor.Not until I be adult did I realize how special she was.

DelightDevotion.My other was borna sall townnorthern Italy.She was three when her parents iigrated to this untry1926.They lived on Chicago’s South Side, where y grandfather worked akg ice crea.

Maa thrivedthe hectic urban environnt.At 16, she graduated firsther high-sretary for a railroad pany.

She was beautiful too.When a local photographer ed her pictureshis onthly dow dispy, she was fttered.Her favorite portrait showed her sittg by Lake Michigan, her hair dblown, her gaze reachg toward the horizon.My other always ed to say that when you died, God gave you back your“best self.”She’d showthat picture and say,“This is what I’ gog to look likeheaven.”

My parents were arried1944.Dad was a quiet and telligent an who was 17 when he left Italy.Soon after, a hit-and-run aide hi with a pera lip.Dad worked hard sellg dy to Chicago office workers on their break.He had little foral schoolg.His English was self-taught.Yet he eventually built a sall, suessful wholesale dy bess.Dad was genero, handso and deeply religio.Maa was devoted to hi.

After she arried, y other quit her job and gave herself to her faily.In 1950, with three children, Dad oved the faily to a far 40 iles fro Chicago.He worked the nd and uted to the city to run his bess.Maa said good-by to her parents and friends and traded her by hildren, and Maa was delighted.

Thk Big.My other udied books on parentg.Yet she knew how to raise children.She heightened our self-estee and helpedreach our potential.

One fall day, I sat at the kit table while Maa peeled potatoes.She spied Dad out the dow on his tractor and siled.“Your father has aoplished so uch.”she said proudly.“He really is sobody.”

My other wanted each ofto be sobody too.“Your challenge is to be everythg you .Me is to help.”she always said.

She read toevery day and ed hoade fsh cards to teachphoics.She bolstered our nfidenid.“Jt what we need.”She ed it for any years.

In the dg roo are o pat-by-nuber pictures that y sister Gloria and brother Leo did as kids.Several years ago, Leo hat the pictures weren’t very good and offered to take the down.But Maa wouldn’t hear of it.“They are there to red you how uch you uld aoplish even as children.”she said.

Fro the very begng, she urgedto thk big.One day, after visitg randparents on the South Side, she ade Dad detour past the Prudential Buildg nstru site.Maa exped that when fished, the 41-story buildg would be Chicago’s tallest.“Maybe soday one of youdesign a buildg like this.”she said.

Her nfidencewas fectio.When y sister Car was 12, she announced she was gog to be a wyer.

“Youdo that.”Maa said.“Youdo anythg you put your d to.”

Tuide.To Maa, education was a key part of her beprt for suess.Four ofwent to a nearby, one-roo school-hoe.My other ade up for its shs by gettgeducational toys, talkg toabout history, politid curres, and helpg with ho-work.The best part of gettg a good report card was her unsttg praise.

When I wasthe third grade, she urged our teacher to anize a field trip to Chiy other helped the teacher rent a b and prip.She even served as tuide, potg out ndarks ag local history.

When it ca ti to thk about llege, there was never a question that we’d all go.Inspired by our parents’sacrifice, we studied hard to earn schorships, and applied frants and fancial aid.We also took jobs to earn oney for school.Wa grocery store, I learhe vae of a dolr.“Work is a blessg.”Maa always reded .

She never asked for anythg for herself.“You don’t have to buya birthday present.”she said oi.“Instead writea letter about yourself.Tellabout your life.Is anythg w you? Are you happy?”...

妈妈的脸上洋溢着骄傲的光芒。我知道，我们所取得的和将要取得的每一点成就，都是我们的父母所赐。

在我们还是小孩子的时候，妈妈便是我们的良师益友。直到我长大成人，才意识到她是多么不平凡。

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