English Original
When I was superintendent of schools in Palo Alto, California, Polly Tyner, the president of our board of trustees, wrote a letter that was printed in the Palo Alto Times. Polly's son, Jim, had great difficulty in school. He was classified as educationally handicapped and required a great deal of patience from his parents and teachers. But Jim was a happy kid with a great smile that lit up the room. His parents acknowledged his academic struggles but always tried to help him see his strengths so he could walk with pride. Shortly after Jim finished high school, he was killed in a motorcycle accident. After his death, his mother submitted this letter to the newspaper.
Today we buried our 20-year-old son. He was killed instantly in a motorcycle accident on Friday night. How I wish I had known when I talked to him last that it would be the last time. If I had only known, I would have said, "Jim, I love you and I'm so very proud of you."
I would have taken the time to count the many blessings he brought to the lives of those who loved him. I would have taken time to appreciate his beautiful smile, the sound of his laughter, his genuine love of people.
When you put all the good attributes on the scale and try to balance them against the irritating traits—like the radio that was always too loud, the haircut we didn't like, the dirty socks under the bed—the irritations don't amount to much.
I won't get another chance to tell my son all I wanted him to hear. But other parents, you do have a chance. Tell your young people what you would want them to hear if you knew it would be your last conversation. The last time I talked to Jim was the day he died. He called me to say, "Hi, Mom! I just called to say I love you. Got to go to work. Bye." He gave me something to treasure forever.
If there is any purpose to Jim's death, perhaps it is to make others appreciate life more and to encourage people, especially families, to take the time to let each other know how much we care.
You may never have another chance. Do it today!
中文翻译
我在加州帕洛阿尔托担任督学时，我们的董事会主席波莉·泰纳写了一封信，刊登在《帕洛阿尔托时报》上。波莉的儿子吉姆在学校学习非常吃力。他被归类为有学习障碍，需要父母和老师极大的耐心。但吉姆是个快乐的孩子，他的灿烂笑容能照亮整个房间。他的父母承认他在学业上的困难，但总是努力帮助他看到自己的优点，让他能自豪地前行。吉姆高中毕业后不久，便在一场摩托车事故中丧生。他去世后，他的母亲将这封信投给了报社。
今天，我们安葬了我们20岁的儿子。他在周五晚上的一场摩托车事故中当场身亡。我多么希望，在我最后一次和他说话时，我能知道那将是最后一次。如果我早知道，我一定会说：“吉姆，我爱你，我为你感到无比骄傲。”
我本应花时间细数他为他所爱之人带来的诸多福佑。我本应花时间去欣赏他美丽的笑容、他笑声的音色、他对人们真诚的爱。
当你把所有美好的品质放在天平的一端，而试图去平衡那些恼人的特质——比如总是开得太响的收音机、我们不喜欢的发型、床底下的脏袜子——你会发现，那些恼人的事情根本无足轻重。
我再也没有机会告诉儿子所有我想让他听到的话了。但是，其他的父母们，你们还有机会。告诉你的孩子们，如果你知道那将是最后一次谈话，你会希望他们听到的话。我最后一次和吉姆说话是在他去世那天。他打电话给我说：“嗨，妈妈！我打电话就是想说我爱你。我得去上班了。再见。”他给了我一份值得永远珍藏的礼物。
如果说吉姆的离世有任何意义，那或许就是让其他人更懂得珍惜生命，并促使人们，尤其是家人，花时间让对方知道我们有多么在乎彼此。
你可能再也不会有机会了。今天就去做吧！