每天清晨我的新婚丈夫都会对我说同样的话."你今天真俊秀."
One glance in the mirror revealed that it was far from the truth.
我朝着镜子一瞥就能知道事实并非如此.
A skinny girl with mashed hair on one side of her head and no makeup smiled back at me. I could feel my sticky morning breath.
镜中的女孩骨瘦如柴,凌乱的头发倒向头的一侧,素面朝天,微笑地望着我.我乃至能闻到清晨起来嘴里那不大好闻的气味.
"Liar," I shot back with a grin.
"骗子,"我咧着嘴笑着回嘴他.
It was my usual response. My mother's first husband was not a kind man and his verbal and physical abuse forced her and her two children to find a safe place. He showed up on her doorstep one day with roses.
这是我一向的回答.我母亲的第一个丈夫不是个善良的人,他粗暴的措辞攻击和身体虐待迫使我母亲带着两个孩子去探求一个安全的地方.一天他捧着一束玫瑰花涌如今母亲的门前.
She let him in and he beat her with those roses and took advantage of her. Nine months later she gave birth to a 9 lb. 13 oz. baby girl-me.
她让他进了门,但他却用玫瑰花打她,并占了她便宜.九个月后她生了一个9磅13盎司重的女孩-那个女孩便是我.
The harsh words we heard growing up took root. I had trouble seeing myself as someone of value.
我们听着各种刺耳难听的话终年夜,这些话在我心里扎了根,以至于我无法把自己看作一个有代价的人.
I had been married two years when I surprised myself. My husband wrapped his arms around me and told me I was beautiful.
我惊异地创造,我已经结婚两年了,我的丈夫双臂紧拥着我,并跟我说,我是俏丽的.
"Thank you," I said.
"感激你,"我说.
The same thin girl with the mousy brown hair still stared back at me in the mirror, but somehow the words had finally blossomed in my heart.
还是那个瘦弱的、一头灰棕色头发的女孩在镜中盯着我,但终极,他的话语在我的心中着花了.
A lot of years have passed.
许多年过去了.
My husband has grey in his hair. I'm no longer skinny. Last week I woke up and my husband's face was inches from mine.
我的丈夫己有了灰发.我也不再骨瘦如柴.上周的清晨我醒来时,我丈夫的脸近在咫尺.
"What are you doing?" I asked.
"你干什么呢?"我问.
I covered my mouth, trying to hide my morning breath. He reached down and kissed my face.
我捂住嘴,不想让他闻到我嘴里的气味.他俯身过来亲吻我的脸.
"What I do every morning," he said.
"做我每天清晨都做的事."他说.
He leaves in the early hours of the morning while I sleep. I miss our morning conversations, but I had not realized that he continued to tell me that he loved me even while I slept. When he left, I rolled over and hugged my pillow. I envisioned the picture of me lightly snoring with my mouth open and giggled.
他清晨就得离开家,而那时候的我常常还在熟睡.我错过了早上的发言,我乃至未曾意识到他一贯在见告我他爱我,哪怕是在我还睡着的时候.他离开时,我翻过身抱着自己的枕头,想象自己睡觉时轻轻打鼾,嘴巴还微微张着的样子,不禁咯咯地笑了.
What a man! My husband understands my past.
这是若何一个男人!他理解我的过去.
He's been beside me as I've grown from an unsure young girl to a confident woman, mother, speaker and author.
他一贯陪在我身边,看着我从一个不自傲的年轻女孩变成一个成熟自傲的女人,一位母亲,一位演讲者和一个作家.
But I'm not sure that he understands the part he played in that transition. The words I heard growing up pierced my soul, yet his words pierced even deeper.
但是我不确信他是否知道他在这一变革中起到的浸染.伴我终年夜的那些锐利的话语曾刺入我的灵魂,而他的话语更是深深地穿透了我的灵魂.
This Anniversary Day I plan to wake early.
今年的结婚周年纪念日,我操持早点醒来.
I want to tell Richard how much I love him. He may look in the mirror and see an extra pound or two, or wish for the day when his hair was dark and curly, but all I'll see is the man who saw something in me when I couldn't see it myself, and who leaves butterfly kisses, even after twenty-three years of marriage.
我要见告理查德我是多么的爱他.他在照着镜子时,大概会创造自己又胖了一两磅,大概会期望有一天他的头发又变得乌黑卷曲,但是我所看到的是这样一个男人-他能够创造我身上就连自己都没觉察到的东西,乃至是在结婚23年后,依然每天给我留下蝶吻.
