Grandma Ruby
by Lynn Robertson
Being a mother of two very active boys, ages seven and one, I am sometimes worried about their making a shambles of my very carefully decorated home. In their innocence and play, they occasionally knock over my favorite lamp or upset my well-designed arrangements. In these moments when nothing feels sacred, I remember the lesson I learned from my wise mother-in-law, Ruby.
Ruby is the mother of 6 and grandmother of 13. She is the embodiment of gentleness, patience and love.
One Christmas, all the children and grandchildren were gathered as usual at Ruby's home. Just the month before, Ruby had bought beautiful new white carpeting after living with the "same old carpet" for over 25 years. She was overjoyed with the new look this gave her home.
My brother-in-law, Arnie, had just distributed his gifts for all the nieces and nephews - prized homemade honey from his beehives. They were so excited. But as fate would have it, eight-year-old Sheena spilled her tub of honey on Grandma's new carpeting and trailed it throughout the entire downstairs of the house.
Crying, Sheena ran into the kitchen and into Grandma Ruby's arms. "Grandma, I've spilled my honey all over your brand new carpet."
Grandma Ruby knelt down, looked tenderly into Sheena's tearful eyes and said, "Don't worry sweetheart, we can get you more honey."
譯文參考:
奶奶魯比
林恩•羅伯遜
我有兩個好動的男孩,一個七歲,一個才一歲,作為他們的母親,我有時候擔心他們會把我精心布置的家搞得亂七八糟。孩子們天真好玩,偶爾他們會碰倒我特別喜愛的燈,或者搞壞我費盡心思設計的擺設。有時,我覺得我的東西不受尊重時,我就會想起我從我聰明的婆婆魯比身上學到的。
魯比是六個孩子的母親,她有十三個孫子孫女。她是溫柔、耐心和愛的化身。
有一個圣誕節(jié),所有的孩子和孫輩都像以往那樣聚集在魯比的家。就在一個月前,魯比換了用了二十五年的地毯,白色的新地毯給她的家?guī)砹诵旅婷?,魯比異常高興。
阿尼是我的小叔,他剛剛給他的小侄子和小侄女派完禮物——家里蜂巢自制的蜂蜜。孩子們都很高興。不過,就像是天意,八歲的希娜不小心把蜂蜜弄到奶奶的新地毯上,還一直拖到整個樓下的地毯上。
希娜哭著跑進廚房,撲到魯比奶奶的懷里,“奶奶,我弄得你的新地毯全是蜂蜜。”
魯比奶奶跪下來,溫柔地看著希娜兩只眼淚汪汪的眼睛,說:“不要著急,親愛的,我們再給你一點蜂蜜。”