岁月在一刻不停地溜走，记忆在点点滴滴间收藏。不经意间打开的一只盒子，装的原来全是温馨的过往。那不仅是一个孩子成长的痕迹，更是一个母亲幸福的回忆……
After having been settled in our new home for almost a year, I decided to finish unpacking the last few boxes. Hidden low in the stack was a box simply marked “Nick”. Excitement jolted my empty-nest heart upon seeing the name of my eldest son, who now lives eleven hundred miles away.
搬到新房子快一年了，我才决定把带过来的最后那几个盒子都打开整理一下。在这堆盒子底下不起眼的地方，有一个盒子，上面只标注了两个字：尼克。尼克是我的大儿子，这会儿突然看见他的名字，我本来空落落的心顿时为之一振：尼克现在可是住在离我1100多英里远的地方啊。
Delighted, I spent hours poring1) through the artwork2), awards and report cards that propped3) my memory door wide open and let the days of his childhood come home.
在接下来的几个小时里，我带着愉悦的心情细细地翻看着盒子里的那些画儿、奖状和成绩报告单。记忆的大门就此打开，尼克的儿时场景又回到家中，一幕幕在我眼前浮现。
I found his soccer “trading card” at age six and a Mother's Day card from the year he was nine with coupons4) for extra chores, neck rubs, and breakfast in bed. I found an award Nick won in the second grade for top sales in a school fundraiser. First place in the entire elementary school. Even at the age of seven, he had a way with5) people. Next I found an envelope addressed to Nick in my own handwriting.
我找到了他六岁时收藏的足球球星“交换卡”，还有他九岁时送给我的母亲节贺卡，上面还画了很多“优惠券”，表示他可以额外提供做家务、帮我揉脖子、送早餐到床边等服务。我还找到了尼克上二年级时得的一张奖状，奖励他在学校的筹集善款活动中卖东西卖得最多——在全小学里排名第一。当时他只有七岁，但向人推销起东西来却很有一套。接着，我又找到了一个信封，信是写给尼克的，信封上的笔迹是我的。
“For Nick to read when he is grown,” the envelope said. I have a tradition of writing letters to my kids at different times in their lives and saving them to read when they are older. This particular letter I had written to my son, now age twenty-one, was dated Mother's Day fifteen years ago. He had been in kindergarten, and reading it brought back memories of a day I realized what a truly selfless, kind child I had been blessed with6).
信封上写着“致长大后的尼克”。我有一个习惯，就是在孩子成长的不同阶段都给他们写信，并把这些信都保存下来，留到他们长大以后再读。现在，尼克已经21岁了，这是我当初写给他的一封特殊的信，信上的日期是15年前的母亲节。那会儿他还在上幼儿园。读着这封信，我渐渐回想起那天发生的点点滴滴，正是在那一天，我意识到上帝赐给了我一个多么无私、善良的孩子。
Dear Nicholas,
亲爱的尼古拉斯：
Today was Mother's Day. As I watch your beautiful sleeping face, I wanted to write this letter to give you later so you will always know how much joy you bring me.
今天是母亲节。我看着你睡梦中漂亮的小脸，突然很想给你写下这封信，等你长大后交给你。这样，你就会知道，你给我带来了多少的欢乐。