In honor of Mother’s Day, we’re sharing with you a letter that our staff member Erica wrote to her daughter.
亲爱的女儿：
妈妈开始上班了，在一家专门致力为四川境内孤儿而服务的机构上班，我正在去德阳孤儿院的车上，给你写的这封信。我坐在靠窗的一边，看着窗外的车辆从我们的身边靠近又远去，不远处的田间已经是秋意浓浓，不时看到田间的一些平房冒出炊烟，这里的银杏树跟市区相比已经是满目金黄，很好看，更远些的地方就是看不清的郊外，时而是房子时而是农田。
Dear daughter,
As your mama, I want to tell you about my job working with vulnerable children in orphanages. I’m on my way to the orphanage as I write this letter to you. I’m sitting next to the window and watching the cars going by. Not far away, the field is full of autumn. Every once in a while, I see some cottages in the field with smoke rising from their chimneys. The ginkgo trees here are golden and beautiful. The farther away from the city we go, the more countryside we see.
虽然在成都已经住了快两年，但以前妈妈从来没来过德阳，一个特别的契机，我现在每周都能来两次，专门来探望一些特殊的孩子，这些孩子有的只有几个月，有的已经是长得很高的哥哥姐姐，有好几个小姑娘与你年龄相仿，跟你一样都喜欢听公主故事，也喜欢玩洋娃娃，我时常一边搂着她们讲故事的时候，会想起你，总在他们的眼睛里看到你的影子。
Although I have lived in this city for nearly two years, your mama has never been to this smaller, nearby city we’re visiting today. This job of mine is a special opportunity for me to visit some special children twice a week. Some of these children are only a few months old, some of them are tall boys and girls, and some of them are the same age as you. They all like to listen to princess stories, and also like to play with dolls. I often think of you and see your reflection in their eyes when I hold them and tell them stories.
仔细想来，我挺幸运的，在我的一生中能有你这样的女儿，活泼可爱，体贴又懂事，给我那么多的信任与依恋，还有无尽的温暖。记得妈妈上周生日，你捧着为我精心准备的礼物，一边唱着生日歌，一边向我缓缓走来，那一刻，妈妈的心就跟蛋糕上那支蜡烛一样，被融化了；还有每次妈妈说肩膀很疼，一双小手就立马伸过来，变着花式的给我揉肩，平日里那些无数个小细节早已融入我的身体，妈妈太幸运了！
When I think about it, I am very lucky to have a daughter like you in my life. You are lively, lovely, considerate and sensible. You give me so much trust and closeness, and endless warmth. I remember for my birthday last week, you walked slowly towards me with a carefully wrapped gift and sang me happy birthday; at that moment, my mama heart was melted like the candle on the cake. And every time I tell you my shoulder hurts, your pair of small hands immediately reaches out to gently rub my shoulder. I am so lucky to be your mama!
每次在去孤儿院的路上，我总不自觉的会想起你，早上出门前你还问我“妈妈你要这么早就出门上班，你是不是很喜欢现在的工作？”你的问题让我想起在刚入职时，一位英国的小姐姐，她也问我为什么要加入这个团队？我想你们的问题答案应该是一样的，我想告诉你一句话“你若有行善的力量，不可推辞，就当向那应得的人施行”，因为这里有需要我们施善的人，而我们恰恰有这个力量。
Every time I’m on the way to the orphanage, you are always in my mind. Before I left this morning, you asked me, “Mama, do you like your job so much that you’re willing to leave this early in the morning?” Your question reminds me of another friend from England who asked me why I joined the team when I first started. I think the answer to your question should be the same. I want to tell you that “if you have the power to do good, you should not refuse to do it for those who deserve it”, because there are people who need us to do good, and we have that power.
记得那天我们边晚餐边聊天，我跟你讲起这里有个孩子叫Christina，她情况很不好，高瘫，只能一直躺在床上手脚也已经严重萎缩，几乎没有说话能力，全靠她的眼睛和耳朵去获知这个世界，那天我拿起一本你同样也很喜爱的“苏菲亚”公主故事书，读给Christina听，她全神贯注听得很认真，不时露出笑容，还举起小手要跟我互动，等我讲完Christina，你立马坚定的认为这个工作你更胜任，其实妈妈也这么觉得。
I remember one day when we were chatting over dinner, I told you that there was a child named Christina in the orphanage. She was in a very bad condition. She couldn’t move her own body, so all she did was lay in bed all day every day. Her arms and legs were so skinny. She had almost no ability to speak. She knew the world only through her eyes and ears. That day, I picked up a story book about Princess Sophia, one of your favorites, and read it to Christina. She listened attentively, smiled from time to time, and raised her little hand to interact with me. When I finished telling you about Christina, you immediately told me that you would be really good at my job. I totally agree with you.
Zion，一个不到1岁的小男孩，每次我来探访，他总对我张开双臂要我抱抱，每次我抱起他发现就难以放下，除了因为Zion他不想离开我，也因为妈妈实在无法拒绝一个孤儿那双渴望被爱的眼神。
Zion, a little boy less than one year old, always opens his arms to me when I visit him. Every time I pick him up, I can’t bear to put him down, not only because he doesn’t want to me to leave him, but also because your mama can’t refuse the eyes of an orphan who yearns to be loved.
Olivia，一个半岁的小女孩，皮肤白净，长着一双水灵灵的大眼睛，她很认生也很粘人，每次看到她总是孤儿院的阿姨抱着她，外表完全看不出有任何残疾，后来这里的阿姨告诉我，小姑娘是先天心脏病，以后心脏能不能长好，能否接受治疗这些都是未知。
Olivia, a one and a half year old girl, has beautiful big eyes. She knows her caregiver well and she’s very clingy. Every time I sees her, she is always with her orphanage nanny. She doesn’t have a visible special need, but I found out from her nanny that the little girl has congenital heart disease. Whether her heart can grow well or whether her body would respond well to treatment are both unknown.
还有很多很多这样的孩子和故事，以后妈妈会慢慢给你讲，女儿你知道吗，地球上人来人往，我们一生会遇到很多不同的人，而绝大多数只是擦肩而过，如果我们能相遇并相处，那都是有原因的，也许只能仅仅是聆听或者陪伴，但妈妈想告诉你，这也是一种行善，懂得和怜悯别人的苦和煎熬，其实是一件特别美妙的事情。
There are so many other children and stories like these. Mama will tell you more someday, one by one, my sweet daughter. You know, people come and go on the earth, and we will meet many different people in our life. Most of them just pass by. When we can meet and get along with each other, it’s always for a reason. Maybe we can only listen or walk alongside them. But Mama wants to tell you that even something this small can be so meaningful. It’s a wonderful thing to know and carry the sufferings of others.
Love, your mama (Erica)
To find out more about becoming a sponsor of Erica’s valuable work, click here.
