Dear God,
Now that I am no longer young, I have friends whose mothers have passed away. I have heard these sons and daughters say they never fully1 appreciated their mothers until it was too late to tell them.
现在我不再年轻，一些朋友的妈妈已经过世。我曾听这类子女们说过，他们从没向妈妈充分表达过他们的感激之情，而待到要告诉时为时已晚了。
I am blessed with the dear mother who is still alive. I appreciate her more each day. My mother does not change, but I do. As I grow older and wiser, I realize what an extraordinary person she is. How sad that I am unable to speak these words in her presence, but they flow easily from my pen.
幸运的是，我亲爱的妈妈依旧健在。我对她的感情与日俱增。妈妈没变，而我却变了。伴随年岁的增长，我愈加懂事了，我认识道她是个很了不起的人。这类话在她面前我很难启齿，但在笔下却可以随便地写出来，这令我感到多么难过。
How does a daughter begin to thank her mother for life itself? For the love, patience and just plain hard work that go into raising a child? For running after a toddler, for understanding a moody2 teenager, for tolerating a college student who knows everything? For waiting for the day when a daughter realizes her mother really is?
一个女儿该如何开口味谢她的妈妈所给予的生命？感谢她在抚养孩子时所付出的爱、耐心与无私的辛勤劳动？感谢她跟在蹒跚学步的孩子身后奔跑，对情绪不定的少女的理解，与对一个自以为是的大学生的宽容？感谢她等待女儿认识到她真实一位好妈妈的这一天？
How does a grown woman thank for a mother for continuing to be a mother? For being ready with advice or remaining silent when it is most appreciated? For not saying:I told you so, when she could have uttered these words dozens of times? For being essentially3 herselfloving, thoughtful, patient, and forgiving?
一个成年女子该如何感谢妈妈依旧如故的角色？感谢在被问到时她会准时提供良言，而在无需时她会维持沉默？感谢她没说：我告诉过你，而她本来可以说上很多次？感谢她一直不变的爱心、体贴周到、耐心与宽容厚道？
I dont know how, dear God, except to bless her as richly as she deserves and to help me live up to the example she has set. I pray that I will look as good in the eyes of my children as my mother looks in mine.
我不了解该如何来表达，亲爱的上帝，除去请求你好好地保佑她那时她该得到的并帮助我朝她作出的榜样看齐。我祈愿在孩子的眼里我会好似妈妈在我眼里通常好。
A daughter
一个女儿
