第18章 The Legacy

When my husband,Bob,died very suddenly in January 1994，I received condolences from people I hadn't heard from in years:letters,cards,flowers,visits.I was overwhelmed with grief,yet uplifted by this outpouring of love from family,friends and even mere acquaintances.

One message touched me profoundly.I received a letter from my best friend from sixth grade through high school.We had drifted apart since graduation in 1949，as she stayed in our home town and I had not.But it was the kind of friendship that could quickly resume even if we lost touch for five or ten years.

Her husband,Pete,had died perhaps 20 years ago at a young age,leaving her with deep sorrow and heavy responsibilities:finding a job and raising three young children.She and Pete,like Bob and I,had shared one of those rare,close and "love-of-your-life-you-can-never-forget" relationships.

In her letter she shared an anecdote about my mother（now long deceased）.She wrote,"When Pete died,your dear mother hugged me and said，‘Trudy,I don't know what to say...So I'll just say I love you.’"

She closed her letter to me repeating my mother's words of so long ago,"Bonnie,I don't know what to say...So I'll just say I love you."

I felt I could almost hear my mother speaking to me now.What a powerful message of sympathy!How dear of my friend to cherish it all those years and then pass it on to me.I love you—perfect words,a gift,a legacy.

隔世的馈赠

1994年1月，我的丈夫鲍勃突然去世。我收到多年没有书信往来的人们的吊唁：书信、卡片、鲜花、拜访。我悲痛欲绝，而这来自家人、朋友，甚至是泛泛之交对我倾注的爱使我振作了起来。

有一个问候深深触动了我。我收到中学六年级我最好朋友的一封信。我们从1949年毕业开始渐渐疏远，因为她留在了我们家乡，而我却没有。但是，我们的友谊正是那种能够迅速恢复的友谊，不论我们失去联系已是五年还是十载。

她的丈夫皮特大概20年前年纪轻轻就去世了，留给她深深的悲痛和沉重的负担：找工作还要抚养三个年幼的孩子。她和皮特，跟鲍勃和我一样，拥有的是一份那种珍贵亲密、永世难忘的爱情。

信中，她告诉我一段有关我母亲的故事，我母亲现在早已不在了。她写道：“皮特去世时，你善良的妈妈抱着我说：‘特鲁迪，我不知道该说些什么……那我就说句我爱你吧。’”

她在信的结尾处不停重复我母亲很久以前说的话：“特鲁迪，我不知道该说些什么……那我就说句我爱你吧。”

我觉得我几乎能够听到母亲此时此刻正在对我讲话。这是多么富有同情心的问候啊！我的朋友是多么善良，她将这句话珍藏这么多年，然后将它传递给我。我爱你——这至善至美的言语，是一份礼物，是一份隔世的馈赠。