My Most Unforgettable Character 我 最 难 忘 的 人.docx
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My Most Unforgettable Character 我 最 难 忘 的 人.docx
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MyMostUnforgettableCharacter我最难忘的人
MyMostUnforgettableCharacter我最难忘的人
Shechallengedustosucceed--andthenshowedustheway.
她激励我们要有所建树:
并一直为我们指点迷津。
ByN.Joseph&M.D.Michelotti
InJune1976,IgraduatedfromNorth-westernUniversityMedicalSchoolinChicago.Whenmynamewascalled,Iwalkedquicklyacrossthestageandreachedformydiploma.Butbeforethemedical-schooldeanhandedmethecertificate,heaskedmyparents,AnnaandCarloMichelotti,tostand.Surprised,theyrosefromtheirseatsintheaudience.Theylookedateachotherandseemedpuzzled.
[2]Thedeantoldthecrowdthatmyparents,animmigrantItaliancouplefromafarmoutsideChicago,hadmanagedtosendtheirsixchildrentotopcollegesandgraduateschools.(Threeofuswouldbecomedoctors,twowerealreadylawyersandonewasaphysicist.)"It'sremarkable,"thedeansaid.Everyonecheeredloudly.
[3]Mama'sfacewasradiantwithpride.Iknewthateverythingwehadachievedorwouldachievewasbecauseofmyparents.Whenwewereyoungchildren,mymother,especially,wasourmentor.NotuntilIbecameanadultdidIrealizehowspecialshewas.
[4]DelightinDevotion.MymotherwasborninasmalltowninnorthernItaly.Shewasthreewhenherparentsimmigratedtothiscountryin1926.TheylivedonChicago'sSouthSide,wheremygrandfatherworkedmakingicecream.
[5]Mamathrivedinthehecticurbanenvironment.At16,shegraduatedfirstinherhigh-schoolclass,wentontosecretarialschool,andfinallyworkedasanexecutivesecretaryforarailroadcompany.
[6]Shewasbeautifultoo.Whenalocalphotographerusedherpicturesinhismonthlywindowdisplay,shewasflattered.HerfavoriteportraitshowedhersittingbyLakeMichigan,herhairwindblown,hergazereachingtowardthehorizon.Mymotheralwaysusedtosaythatwhenyoudied,Godgaveyoubackyour"bestself".She'dshowusthatpictureandsay,"ThisiswhatI'mgoingtolooklikeinheaven."
[7]Myparentsweremarriedin1944.Dadwasaquietandintelligentmanwhowas17whenheleftItaly.Soonafter,ahit-and-runaccidentlefthimwithapermanentlimp.DadworkedhardsellingcandytoChicagoofficeworkersontheirbreak.Hehadlittleformalschooling.HisEnglishwasself-taught.Yetheeventuallybuiltasmall,successfulwholesalecandybusiness.Dadwasgenerous,handsomeanddeeplyreligious.Mamawasdevotedtohim.
[8]Aftershemarried,mymotherquitherjobandgaveherselftoherfamily.In1950,withthreechildren,Dadmovedthefamilytoafarm40milesfromChicago.Heworkedthelandandcommutedtothecitytorunhisbusiness.Mamasaidgood-bytoherparentsandfriendsandtradedherbusycityneighborhoodforamoreisolatedlife.Butshenevercomplained.By1958,ourmodestwhitefarmhousewasfilledwithsixchildren,andMamawasdelighted.
[9]"ThinkBig".Mymotherneverstudiedbooksonparenting.Yetsheknewhowtoraisechildren.Sheheightenedourself-esteemandhelpedusreachourpotential.
[10]Onefallday,IsatatthekitchentablewhileMamapeeledpotatoes.ShespiedDadoutthewindowonhistractorandsmiled."Yourfatherhasaccomplishedsomuch,'shesaidproudly."Hereallyissomebody."
[11]Mymotherwantedeachofustobesomebodytoo."Yourchallengeistobeeverythingyoucan.Mineistohelp,"shealwayssaid.
[12]Shereadtouseverydayandusedhomemadeflashcardstoteachusphonics.Shebolsteredourconfidence,praisingevenourmostordinaryaccomplishments.WhenIwasten,Ipaintedastackofwoodencrateswhiteandnailedthemtogethertomakeawobblybookcase."It'swonderful!
"Mamaexclaimed."Justwhatweneed."Sheuseditformanyyears.
[13]Inthediningroomaretwopaint-by-numberpicturesthatmysisterGloriaandbrotherLeodidaskids.Severalyearsago,Leocommentedthatthepicturesweren'tverygoodandofferedtotakethemdown.ButMamawouldn'thearofit."Theyaretheretoremindyouhowmuchyoucouldaccomplishevenaschildren,"shesaid.
[14]Fromtheverybeginning,sheurgedustothinkbig.Oneday,aftervisitingourgrandparentsontheSouthSide,shemadeDaddetourpastthePrudentialBuildingconstructionsite.Mamaexplainedthatwhenfinished,the41-storybuildingwouldbeChicago'stallest."Maybesomedayoneofyoucandesignabuildinglikethis,"shesaid.
[15]Herconfidenceinuswasinfectious.WhenmysisterCarlawas12,sheannouncedshewasgoingtobealawyer.
[16]Youcandothat,"Mamasaid.Youcandoanythingyouputyourmindto."
[17]TourGuide.ToMama,educationwasakeypartofherblueprintforsuccess.Fourofuswenttoanearby,one-roomschoolhouse.Mymothermadeupforitsshortcomingsbygettinguseducationaltoys,talkingtousabouthistory,politicsandcurrentevents,andhelpingwithhome-work.Thebestpartofgettingagoodreportcardwasherunstintingpraise.
[18]WhenIwasinthirdgrade,sheurgedourteachertoorganizeafieldtriptoChicagomuseums.Mymotherhelpedtheteacherrentabusandplanthetrip.Sheevenservedastourguide,pointingoutlandmarksandrecountinglocalhistory.
[19]Whenitcametimetothinkaboutcollege,therewasneveraquestionthatwe'dallgo.Inspiredbyourparents'sacrifice,westudiedhardtoearnscholarships,andappliedforgrantsandfinancialaid.Wealsotookjobstoearnmoneyforschool.Workinginagrocerystore,Ilearnedthevalueofadollar."Workisablessing,"Mamaalwaysremindedus.
[20]Sheneveraskedforanythingforherself."Youdon'thavetobuymeabirthdaypresent,"shesaidonetime."Insteadwritemealetteraboutyourself.Tellmeaboutyourlife.Isanythingworryingyou?
Areyouhappy?
"
[21]"YouHonorUsAll."Mymothermadefamilyvaluesandpridetangible.OnetimewhenIwasahigh-schooljunior,ourschoolputonaproductionofTheMusicMan.Myrolewastotallyinsignificant.Iplayedbassintheorchestra."Youdon'thavetocomeandseeme,"ItoldMama.
"I'mnotdoinganythingimportant."
[22]"Nonsense,"shesaid."Ofcoursewe'recoming,andwe'recoiningbecauseyou'reintheprogram."Thewholefamilyshowedup.
[23]ThenextyearwhenIwaselectedpresidentofmyhighschool'sNationalHonorSociety,mymotherpulledMichaelandMaria,myyoungerbrotherandsister,outofgradeschoolandbroughtthemtotheceremony.Otherstudents'parentscametotheevent.ButIwastheonlyonewithabrotherandsisterthere.
[24]"Everythingyoudoreflectsonthefamily,"Mamaexplained."Ifyousucceed,youhonorusall."'
[25]Inthesameway,shecrowdedusallaroundthekitchentableforbreakfastandsupper.Shemadesurewesharedchores.Shenurturedourreligiousfaith,whichkeptourfamilyclose.EverySunday,wefilledapewatchurch.Atnight,weknelttogetherintheLivingroomandprayed.
[26]Mymothersuggestedgameseveryonecouldplayandoftenjoinedin.Irememberlaughingasshemarchedusaroundthedining-roomtableoneevening,whileJohnPhilipSousaboomedfromtherecordplayer."Keepinstepnow,"shecalledouttoherparadingchildren."Ifyou'regonnamarchordoanythingelse,youalwayswanttodoitthebestyoucan."
[27]TimeforEveryone.Successwasn'tjustmakingmoney,Mamaalwayssaid.Successwasdoingsomethingpositiveforothers.
[28]In1977,whenLeoreceivedhisPh.D.inphysicsfromtheUniversityofCaliforniaatIrvine,mymotherwrotehimalong,warmletter.Shepraisedhisyearsofhardworkand,typically,remindedhimtousehiseducationtohelpothers."Tothink,youhavetheknowledgetoworkforthebettermentofmankind!
"shestressed."Thereismuchgoodforyoutoaccomplish."
[29]Mamatooktimeforeveryone.Onecoldday,shesawtheneighbors'threeyoungchildrenplayinginouryard.Theywereshiveringinthin,wornsweaters.Mamacalledtheyoungsterstoourdoor,wheretheystaredgreedilyatapotofsteaminghomemadesoupshewasmakingforsupper.Shehustledthemin,fedthemandrummagedthroughourclosetsforextracoats.
[30]Fromthatday,untilthefamilymovedayearlater,Mamaoftenbroughtstew,soupandpastatotheirhome.Shetelephonedthechildreninthemorningtomakesuretheygotupforschool.Often,shewalkedthemdownthelaneandwaitedwiththemforthebus.AtChristinas,sheevenboughtthechildrengifts.
[31]Mymotherwasthedrivinginfluenceinmydecisiontobecomeaphysician."Dogood"shealwayssaid--andbethereforothers.Irecallalong,difficultnightwhenIwasaresidentatNorthwesternMemorialHospital.Ihadn'tsleptmuchfordays.Finally,onemorningataroundfouro'clock,Idroppedintoarestlessslumber.Anhourlater,Iawokewithajolt.Ihaddreamedmyfatherdied.Confusedandexhausted,Icalledhomeintears."Everythingisallright,"mymotherassuredme."Don'tworry."
[32]Atsixo'clock,thehospitalsecuritybuzzedmyroom.Ihadvisitors.Stumblingintotheelevator,Iwonderedwhohadcometoseemeatthathour.Therestoodmyparents.Theyhadgottenupanddrivenintothecityinthepredawndarkness."Ijustwantedtomakesureyouwereokay,"Mamasaid,sleepy-eyedandanxious.
[33]ViewFromAbove.Whilemymother'sspiritremainedindomitable,herhealthturnedpoor.Earlylastyear,shehadmajorsurgery.Complicationsdeveloped.Eightdayslater,onJanuary31,1990,Mamadiedsuddenly.Shewas66.
[34]Morethan200peoplecametoherfuneralservice.Inhiseulogy,Leosaid,"Mamapouredherlifeoutforus,reservingnothingforherself,thinkingofusalways,ofherselfnever."
[35]Sittinginchurch,Icouldpicturemymotherinheaven,lookingyoungandbeautifuljustasshedidinherfavoritephotograph.ButinsteadofgazingoutoverLakeMichigan,shewouldbelookingdownat
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