The coolest dad in the world

当我出生的时候爸爸已经50岁了。在别人有“妈妈先生”这个绰号之前，他已经因这个称呼名闻遐迩。我不知道为什么他代替妈妈而成为持家的人，但是我是我所有小朋友中惟一有爸爸陪在身边的人，从这一点来说我认为自己很幸运。

在我上低年级学校的多年中，爸爸为我做了许多事情。他让学校汽车司机到我家门口接我，而不让我到六街区远的普通汽车站。当我回家的时候，他常常已为我准备好了午餐——花生酱和肉冻三明治。我最喜欢过圣诞节，螺旋形式的三明治周围嵌满绿色的糖块并被剪成树的形状。

随着我渐渐长大，我努力想获得独立，我想摆脱掉这些父爱的“幼稚”的迹象，但是他不打算放弃。我进了高中之后，不能再回家吃午饭了，我便自己带饭，爸爸每天早早起来为我准备好午饭。在饭袋的外表是他自己设计的描绘山景的图画（这成为他的商标），或者一个刻着“爸爸和安吉”的心在饭袋的中央，在里面将有一块印着同一个心或“我爱你”的餐巾。许多次他写上一个笑话或谜语，他经常有一些可笑的话逗我笑并让我体会到他爱我。

我经常把我的午餐藏起来，这样将没有人看到饭袋或餐巾上的话，但这并没有隐瞒多长时间。一天，我的一个朋友看到餐巾，第二天我的所有朋友都等着看这块餐巾。他们也模仿这种方法，我想他们都希望也有人向他们显示那样的爱。我为有这样一位父亲而感到非常自豪。在我以后的几年高中生涯所收藏的那样的餐巾，至今仍大部保留着。

后来，当我离开家去上大学（我是最后一个离开家的子女）的时候，我想这样表达爱的方式将不能继续了。但是我和我的朋友们为他的爱而感到非常欣喜。

我希望在放学后天天见到父亲，因此我经常给他打电话，我的电话费用因此而扶摇直上。我们说什么并无多大关系，我只是想听到的他声音。第一年这已成为我们之间的一种仪式。每次我说完再见，他常说：“安吉？”

“是我，爸爸。”我答道。

“我爱你。”

“我也同样爱你，爸爸。

几乎每个星期五我都收到信。我前面座位上的同学常常知道这是谁来的信——信封上的姓名地址经常是用蜡笔写的，里面的信经常画上我们家的小狗或猫，并附上他与妈妈的相片。如果我上周末回家的话，还有与朋友们在城镇周围赛跑和把家作为一个小站的描写，还附上他的风景画和一颗写着“爸爸和安吉”的心形题字。

信件正好在每天的午饭前送到，因此我能够带着他的信去餐厅。我意识到把信藏起来是没有用的，因为我的室友是知道我爸爸送我的餐巾的高中朋友。我在星期五下午读信，画和信封被传阅，已成为室友们的一种“仪式”。

正是在这期间爸爸患了癌症。当信件在星期五不能到来的时候，我意识到他已虚弱得不能写字。他经常在早晨4点起床，这样他能静静地坐在院子里写他的信。如果他误了星期五的邮寄，信将迟到一两天，但信总会到的。我的朋友们经常称他“世界上最酷的爸爸”。一天我的朋友们送给他一张卡片，上面签了所有人的名字，并把那个称号赠给他，我确信他教会我们理解一个父亲的爱。如果我的朋友们开始送给他们的孩子餐巾，我一点也不惊奇。他留给他们一个深刻印象，并将激励他们给自己的孩子表达自己的爱。

在我的4年大学生活的日日夜夜，信件和电话从不曾间断。我决定回家和他呆在一起的时间到了，因为他的病情日益恶化，我已认识到我们共处的时光非常少了。那些天是最难捱的日子，眼看着这个曾经充满年轻活力的人已枯槁销蚀。最后他竟认不出我是谁了，把我喊成他曾多年未见的一个亲戚的名字，我知道这是由于病魔在作怪。

在他临死前的几天里，我和他单独呆在医院的病房里。我们互相握着手看电视。当我准备离开的时候，他说道：

“安吉？”

“是我，爸爸。”

“我爱你。”

“我也爱你，爸爸。”

Dad was 50 when I was born. Before anyone else had the nickname "Mr. Mom," he was famous for it. I don't know why he became the stay-at-home dad instead of mom, but I was the only one of my kids to have a dad around, and for that I consider myself lucky. During my many years in junior school, my father did many things for me. He told the school bus driver to meet me at my house instead of the regular bus stop six blocks away. When I come home, he usually has lunch ready for me -- Peanut Butter and jelly sandwiches. My favorite time of Year for Christmas is when a spiral sandwich is surrounded by green candy bars and cut into tree shapes. As I grew older, I tried to be independent. I tried to get rid of these signs of paternal "childishness," but he wasn't ready to give up. When I got into high school, I couldn't go home for lunch any more, so I brought my own lunch, and my father got up early to prepare it for me every day. On the outside of the bag is a picture of a mountain landscape of his own design (which became his trademark) , or a heart engraved with "Papa and Anji County" in the middle of the bag, inside will be a napkin with the same heart or "I love you" printed on it. Many times he would write a joke or a riddle, and he would often make me laugh and let me know that he loved me. I used to hide my lunch so no one would see the words on the bag or napkin, but it wasn't hidden for long. One day, one of my friends saw a napkin, and the next day all my friends were waiting to see the napkin. They also imitate this method, I think they all want someone to show them that kind of love. I am very proud to have such a father. Over the next few years of my high school years, I still have most of my napkin collection. Later, when I left home to go to college (I was the last to leave home) , I thought this way of expressing love would not work. But my friends and I were delighted by his love. I wanted to see my father every day after school, so I called him often, and my phone bill went through the roof. It doesn't matter what we say. I just want to hear his voice. In the first year, it became a ritual between us. Every time I said goodbye, he used to say, "Anji County?""It's me, Daddy," I replied. "I love you.""I love you too, Dad.". I get letters almost every Friday. The person in front of me always knew who it was -- the name and address on the envelope were often written in crayon, and the letters were often drawn with our dog or cat and a picture of him and his mother. If I had come home last weekend, there would have been a running race with friends around town and a description of home as a small station, complete with a landscape painting of his and an inscription in the shape of a heart that said, "Daddy and Anji County.". The letter arrived just before lunch every day, so I was able to take it to the restaurant. I realized it was useless to hide the letter because my roommate was a high school friend who knew about the napkin my father had given me. I read the letters on Friday afternoons, and the paintings and envelopes were passed around, becoming a "ritual" for my roommates. It was during this time that Dad got cancer. When the letter could not come on Friday, I realized that he was too weak to write. He used to get up at four in the morning so that he could sit quietly in the yard and write his letters. If he missed the post on Friday, the letter would be a day or two late, but it would come. My friends used to call him "the coolest dad in the world.". One day my friends sent him a card with everyone's names on it and gave him that title, and I'm sure he taught us to understand a father's love. I wouldn't be surprised if my friends started giving their kids napkins. He left them a deep impression and will inspire them to express their love for their children. During the four years of my college life, letters and phone calls continued day and night. It was time for me to go home and spend time with him, because his illness was getting worse and I had realized how little time we had together. Those were the worst days, watching a man once full of youthful energy wither and die. At last he did not recognize me, and called me by the name of a relative whom he had not seen for many years, and I knew it was because of illness. A few days before he died, I was alone with him in a hospital room. We hold hands and watch TV. When I was ready to leave, he said: "Anji County?""It's me, Daddy.""I love you.""I love you too, Daddy." 标题: 世界上最酷的爸爸
作者: 安吉·K·K·沃德
字数: 1460
简介: 当我出生的时候爸爸已经50岁了。在别人有“妈妈先生”这个绰号之前，他已经因这个称呼名闻遐迩。我不知道为什么他代替妈妈而成为持家的人，但是我是