Dear God,    Now that I am no longer young, I have friends whose mothers have passed aw

Dear God,

    Now that I am no longer young, I have friends whose mothers have passed away. I have heard these sons and daughters say they never fully appreciated their mothers 36  it was too late to tell them.

    I am blessed with the dear mother who is still   37. I appreciate her more each day. My mother does not change, but I do. As I grow older and wiser, I  38  what an extraordinary person she is. How sad that I am   39   to speak these words in her presence(面前), but they  40   easily from my pen.

    How does a daughter begin to  41  her mother for life itself? For the love,  42 and just plain hard work that go into raising a child? For running after a toddler, for  43 a moody teenager, for tolerating a college student who knows  44  ? For waiting for the 45 when a daughter realizes her mother really is?

    How does a  46  woman thank for a mother for 47  to be a mother? For being ready with advice (when asked) or 48  silent when it is most appreciated? For not 49 : “I told you so”, when she could have uttered these 50 dozens of times? For being essentially herself―loving, thoughtful, patient, and forgiving?

    I don’t know how, dear God,  51  to bless her as richly as she  52   and to help me  53 the example she has set. I 54 that I will look as good in the eyes of my  55   as my mother looks in mine.

A daughter

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