“How can I ever thank you？” she said softly。
I was almost embarrassed。 It was such a little kindness on my part。 The son born to my husband and me that day in 1956 turned out to be our only child。 For nearly 21 years he filled our lives with love and laughter； making us feel plete。 But on Easter morning in April 1977； after a long； painful battle with cancer； he died quietly in our arms。
At the funeral home I was alone with my son in a room filled with the scent of roses； when a delivery man brought in a tiny bouquet。 I didn’t read the card until later； as we rode to the cemetery。 “To W。 John Graves；” the card said； “from the boy who was born with you at Memorial Hospital； and his mother。”
Only then did I recognize the ceramic bootee I had given to a sad young woman so many years ago； now once again filled with roses。 Ann and I had 1ong since lost touch。 She had never known our son； never been aware of his illness。 She must have read the notice of his death in a newspaper。 I passed the card on to my mother sitting beside me。 She； too； remembered。
“A kindness returned；” Mother said。
A few days later； my husband and I； with several members of our family； went to the cemetery to clear John’s grave。 The bootee of roses sat at its foot； towered over by tall wreaths3 and sprays。
“How strange that anyone would send something like that to a funeral；” someone said。 “It seems more appropriate for a birth。”
“There was a birth；” said my husband quietly。 “John was born into Eternal Life。” I looked at him with surprise； knowing those words were difficult for a man who had never spoken openly about such matters。
He emptied out the flowers and handed me the ceramic bootee。 I held it and； just as Ann had done； I traced it with my fingers； thinking of all the messages it contained： the embers of friendship that glow through the years； gratitude remembered and； beneath it all； the promise of resurrection； which forts us now。
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将爱放飞 令爱永存
佚名
从前，有个孤独的女孩非常渴望得到爱。一天，她在丛林中漫步，发现两只快要饿死的鸟儿。她把它们带回家，放进一个小鸟笼里。在她细心照顾下，鸟儿逐渐强壮起来。每天早晨，鸟儿都用美妙的歌声向她道早安。女孩不禁对这两只小鸟产生了深深的爱意。
一天，女孩把鸟笼的门打开了。那只又大又壮的鸟儿飞了出去。女孩很担心它会飞走，再也不回来了。于是当鸟儿飞近时，她拼命抓住它。她非常高兴，鸟儿终于又抓了回来。突然，她感觉鸟儿有些软弱无力。松开手，她诧异地发现鸟儿死在她的手中。是她极端的爱害死了鸟儿。
她发现另一只鸟儿在笼里扇动着翅膀扑来扑去。她感受得到它也十分向往自由，渴望飞向湛蓝的天空。她把它从笼中拿起，轻轻地抛向空中。鸟儿盘旋了好几圈，才肯离去。
看到鸟儿欢快的样子，女孩高兴极了。她的内心不再关心自己的得失。她希望鸟儿幸福。突然，鸟儿飞近了，轻轻落在她的肩头，鸣唱起她从没听过的动人曲调。
牢牢地将爱握于手心只会更快地失去爱；赋予爱一双翅膀，将它放飞，才会令爱永存！
■ 心灵小语
爱，并不代表紧紧地抓在手中，而是给予广阔的空间，让其自由地飞翔，快乐地歌唱。这样的爱才能带来真正的幸福，才能成为一道永恒的美丽景色！
Let Go Love
Anonymous
There was once a lonely girl who longed so much for love。 One day while she was walking in the woods she found two starving songbirds。 She took them home and put them in a small cage。 She cared them with love and the birds grew strong。 Every morning they greeted1 her with a wonderful song。 The girl felt great love for the birds。
One day the girl left the door to the cage open。 The larger and stronger of the two birds flew from the cage。 The girl was so frightened that he would fly away。 As he flew close； she grasped him wildly。 Her heart felt glad at her success in capturing2 him。 Suddenly she felt the bird go limp。 She opened her hand and stared in horror at the dead bird。 Her desperate love had killed him。
She noticed the other bird moving back and forth on the edge of the cage。 She could feel his great need for freedom。 He needed to soar into the clear； blue sky。 She lifted him from the cage and tossed him softly into the air。 The bird circled once； twice； three times。
The girl watched delightedly at the bird’s enjoyment。 Her heart was no longer concerned with her loss。 She wanted the bird to be happy。 Suddenly the bird flew closer and landed softly on her shoulder。 He sang the sweetest melody3 that she had ever heard。
The fastest way to lose love is to hold on it too tight； the best way to keep love is to give it wings！
嗨， 护士……谢谢你（1）
佚名
“嗨，护士！”
从254号病房传来一个男人高亢而粗犷的声音。刚结束特护区一天繁忙的工作，我抄近路从自动测量技术传导室经过。这些都不是我的病人，因此，我继续走我的路。
“嘿，金发女孩。”
我停住脚步，环顾一下四周。除了我，附近并没有其他护士。于是，我走到254号病房门口，往里看了一眼，发现一个高大的男人坐在床上，他有一张方方正正的脸，神色非常友善。我还没来得及开口，他就说道：“还记得我吗？在四楼病房里，你照顾过我。”
“先生，不好意思，我在特护区工作。您可能认错人了。”
我微笑着祝他下午愉快，然后转身要离开。他粗犷的声音再次让我停住脚步。
“等一下，”他打了个响指，“你叫……噢，让我想想……”
我转过身来，他正看着天花板，脸上带着浅浅的笑容。不一会儿，他转过头来看着我。
“你叫杰姬，对吧？扎着长长的马尾辫，金黄的头发，对不对？”
我愣了一下，很吃惊。
“你说得很对。”说着，我低头看了一眼胸前，看看姓名标牌取下了没有（已经摘下了）。我又用手摸了摸后脑勺，发辫已经挽成髻紧紧盘在脑后了。于是，我仔细地看着他的脸，想从中寻找某些显著特征勾起我的记忆。他有着一双蓝色的眼睛，冷静而明亮，花白的卷发勾勒出他的面部轮廓。
“对不起，我没在四楼工作，我印象中也没你这个人。”
“杰姬，不要紧。能再次见到你，我真的很开心。三个星期前，你来过我的病房。那时，我的心脏停止了跳动，你把那些控制手柄放在我胸口。我记得，当时你大叫着要每个人都做好准备，那些听起来好像是专业术语。后来，你拿起这些控制手柄电击我的胸口，我又活了过来。”
我突然想了起来。那天，我要取一个编码（至于什么编码，我忘记了），就来到他的病房。当时，他的病情十分危急——毫无知觉，瞳孔放大，脸色青紫。
“谁告诉你那天是我救了你呢？” 我的好奇心油然而生，又走进他的房间。
他笑了笑，又抬头看着天花板。
“没人告诉我。我是从天花板上看见的。所以，我知道你梳着长长的金色马尾辫。就在你转头看监控器时，我看到了你漂亮的脸蛋。能再次见到你，我真的很高兴。”
他看着我，脸上的微笑不见了。我能看得出他正竭力控制自己的感情。
“我想向你道谢，真的很感谢你……”
现在，我每次经过254号病房时，内心总会涌起一股暖流。那天抄近路经过这里真是一个明智的选择，同时，我也庆幸自己对“嗨，护士”的叫声做出了回应。
■ 心灵小语
一些看似不经意的小事，有时会成为别人心中永恒的温暖。尽管生活忙忙碌碌，但偶尔驻足或是稍稍改变一下方向，这个举动或许就会成就别人或自己心中永远美丽的瞬间。
Hey； Nurse。。。Thanks
Anonymous
“Hey； nurse！”
A man’s voice； loud and gruff； was ing from room 254。 I was taking a shortcut through the telemetry unit after another busy day in the critical care unit。 These weren’t my patients； so I kept going。
“Yo； blondie。”
I stopped and looked around。 No other nurses were in sight； so I went to the doorway of room 254 and glanced in。 A large man with a big； friendly face was sitting up in the bed。 He spoke before I had a chance to open my mouth。 “Do you remember me？ You were my nurse on the fourth floor。”
“I’m sorry； sir； but I work in the critical1 care unit。 You must have me confused with someone else。”书 包 网 txt小说上传分享
嗨， 护士……谢谢你（2）
I smiled； wished him a good afternoon and turned to go on my way。 His booming voice stopped me again。
“No； wait a minute。” He started snapping his fingers。 “Your name is。。。 oh； let me think。。。”
I turned around to see him looking up at the ceiling； a half smile on his face。 Then he looked back at me。
“Jackie； right？ You’ve got a long blonde ponytail； don’t you？”
I was dumb founded。
“Yes。” I said； peeking at my chest to make sure I’d taken off my name tag。 （I had。） I reached back and touched the tightly braided2 bun on the back of my head。 Then I studied his face； looking for something that might trigger my memory。 His eyes were cool； blue and shiny。 Curly salt…and…pepper hair framed his face。
“I’m sorry。 I don’t work on the fourth floor； and I just don’t remember you。”
“That’s all right； Jackie。 I’m just glad I got to see you again。 You came into my room about three weeks ago。 My heart stopped dead on me and you put those paddles3 on my chest。 I remember you shouting out all these technical sounding words； telling everybody to clear the way。 Then you took those paddles and you shocked me back to life。”
Suddenly it dawned on me： I had been in his room for a code I’d forgotten about。 He was a different person then—unresponsive； with dilated pupils and a red and blue face。
“Who told you I helped you that day？” I asked； my curiosity pulling me into his room。
He laughed and looked back up at the ceiling。
“Nobody told me。 I was up on that ceiling there watching you。 That’s how I saw your long； blonde ponytail。 And when you turned to look at the monitor4； I saw your beautiful face。 I’m so glad I got to see you again。”
He looked down at me； his smile gone。 I could see he was struggling with his emotions。
“I wanted to say thanks。 Thanks so much。。。”
Every time I pass room 254 now； a warm feeling wells up inside me。 I am grateful for the shortcut I took that day； and for the fact that I answered the call of “Hey； nurse！”
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情暖今生（1）
茹涅？吉尔
在雄伟的纽约医院。午夜早已过去，我站在九楼病房的窗前，身上裹着暖和的羊毛大衣，默默地凝视着窗外的第59街大桥。它如同圣诞树般闪烁着美丽的光芒。对我而言，纽约城永远都是那么特别，有百老汇大剧院、音乐以及形形色色、不同档次的餐馆。“这个城市本就应该是这样。”我想着，早晨的到来和其伴随的未知状况使我惊恐不安。然而早晨终究来临，那天是3月17日。上午九点，我被推进手术室。再次被推回疗养室时，已经过去11个小时零45分钟了。没过几个小时，我就被送回自己的病房。我发现自己居然可以站起来，并可以在家人和医疗器械的帮助下行走。遵医嘱，我要在医院的长廊里走上一个往返。
那是我第一次见到他。由于药物和疼痛的影响，我看着他，感觉一切模糊而毫无真实感。他站在一间病房门口。在我模糊的眼中，他不像是一个完整的人影，而是如鬼魂一般。然而，不知何故，我还是从这个身影的肢体语言中感受到了他对�