Time is intangible: it passes us by so quickly as if it were smoke. This intransience comes and goes without our acknowledgment, and thus , I want to take this moment to express my gratitude for my mother’s devotion, unconditional love, and last but not least, her incessant badgering.
There is a reason that there exists a day dedicated to our mothers, fathers, veterans, and former presidents. Every one of these groups of people has exceeded preconceived expectations by impacting lives. Not only has she given us the gift of life, she has also provided a stable foundation on which we are able to build upon by teaching ethics and compassion.
My mother is the glue to our family. She keeps us interconnected in a peculiar way. Though her life is not the least bit glamorous, the stories she tells us about her childhood and daily occurrences never cease to grab our attention. Her spontaneous stories make up the vast majority of topics we discuss at the dinner table. Many of her stories entail lessons of virtues, especially the one where she taught us that, under any circumstance, it is never right to steal. Her oracular skills as well as her ability to dramatize every detail in her seem to always captivate yet permitted us to learn right from wrong.She also taught us the importance of donating clothing and various items to the less fortunate like to the homeless and Goodwill stores that cater to the welfare of society. Every month, she would have the whole family fill up a large bag with clothes, shoes, toys, and stuffed animals to give to our fellow brothers and sisters in need. She never uttered one word about why we were doing what we were doing, but the great emphasis she put on donations illustrated that compassion was the key to our philanthropy.
Raising three children is not an easy feat to accomplish, yet my mother was able to execute this task gracefully. Certainly, there were many bumps along the road interspersed with glimmers of happiness and fiery altercations. I say gracefully because even through our conflicts, she managed to remain a loving mother who cared about nothing except for her children’s well-being and happiness. After nineteen years of her guidance, I can proudly say that she is a wonderful mother figure, flaws and all.
時間是看不到的，它來無踪、去無跡，在我們還沒有察覺時，它已像煙霧般在我們身旁悄然飄逝。因此，我盼望，在這刻，為媽媽對家的忠誠和無條件的愛，對我們的「囉哩囉唆」，獻上由衷的感激。
一個為某些人而特定的日子，不管是為媽媽、爸爸、總統或是軍人，總有其背後的原因。就是因為他們為人類作出了超乎意料的影響。媽媽不但予以我們生命，透過在道德倫理，以及憐恤同情上的教導，她為我們提供了一個讓我們可以在上面建造的穩固基礎。
媽媽是我們家的黏著劑。她用很獨特的方法把我們連在一起。縱然她的生命並非那樣璀璨、那麼轟轟烈烈，可是，她的童年往事，生活點滴，卻能牢牢地捉住我們的注意力。她那看來漫不經心的故事，為我們的餐桌，製造了許多話題。她的故事總夾雜著一些做人的美德，就如她常常教導我們一樣，不管環境如何，都不能偷竊。媽媽的口材，以及戲劇化的表達方式，不但深深地迷住我們，更能讓我們學習是非黑白。
媽媽常常教導我們，要把衣服和家居用品捐贈給那些不幸的，如流浪漢，和一些社會福利機構的重要性。每個月，她會動員全家大小，把衣物、鞋子、玩具等放在袋子裡，送給那些有需要的弟兄姐妹。她從沒有用說話來解釋為什麽她要求我們這樣做，可是，她對捐贈扶貧的執著，正闡明了憐恤是一切慈善行為的關鍵。
哺育三個孩子並不容易，但，媽媽卻可處之泰然，從容而對。當然，在快樂、激昂的育兒路上，偶爾也會點綴著不少顛簸。可是，縱使在衝突中，她仍然是個慈愛的媽媽，她仍然以她孩子的幸福及快樂為重。在她十九年的教養蔭庇下，我可以驕傲地宣稱，不管有否瑕疵，我有個很好很好的媽媽！
● Clarice Choi, 女, 19歲 ● 翻譯：秦黃業玲