Mother's Hands

Night after night, she came to tuck me in, even long after my childhood years. Following her longstanding custom, she'd lean down and push my long hair out of the way, then kiss my forehead. 

I don't remember when it first started annoying me — her hands pushing my hair that way. But it did annoy me, for they felt work-worn and rough against my young skin. Finally, one night, I shouted out at her, "Don't do that anymore —your hands are too rough!" She didn't say anything in reply. But never again did my mother close out my day with that familiar expression of her love.

Time after time, with the passing years, my thoughts returned to that night. By then I missed my mother's hands, missed her goodnight kiss on my forehead. Sometimes the incident seemed very close, sometimes far away. But always it lurked（潜伏）, in the back of my mind.

Well, the years have passed, and I'm not a little girl anymore. Mom is in her mid-seventies, and those hands I once thought to be so rough are still doing things for me and my family. She's been our doctor, reaching into a medicine cabinet for the remedy to calm a young girl's stomach or soothe the boy's scraped knee. She cooks the best fried chicken in the world... gets stains out of blue jeans like I never could...

Now, my own children are grown and gone. Mom no longer has Dad, and on special occasions, I find myself drawn next door to spend the night with her. So it was late on Thanksgiving Eve, as I slept in the bedroom of my youth, a familiar hand hesitantly run across my face to brush the hair from my forehead. Then a kiss, ever so gently, touched my brow. 

In my memory, for the thousandth time, I recalled the night my young voice complained, "Don't do that anymore — your hands are too rough!" Catching Mom's hand in hand, I blurted out how sorry I was for that night. I thought she'd remember, as I did. But Mom didn't know what I was talking about. She had forgotten — and forgiven — long ago.

That night, I fell asleep with a new appreciation for my gentle mother and her caring hands. And the guilt that I had carried around for so long was nowhere to be found.

相关单词：lurked

lurked解释：vi.潜伏，埋伏（lurk的过去式与过去分词形式）

lurked例句：

The murderers lurked behind the trees. 谋杀者埋伏在树后。 来自《简明英汉词典》

Treachery lurked behind his smooth manners. 他圆滑姿态的后面潜伏着奸计。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》

相关单词：soothe

soothe解释：v.安慰；使平静；使减轻；缓和；奉承

soothe例句：

I've managed to soothe him down a bit.我想方设法使他平静了一点。

This medicine should soothe your sore throat.这种药会减轻你的喉痛。

相关单词：drawn

drawn解释：v.拖，拉，拔出；adj.憔悴的，紧张的

drawn例句：

All the characters in the story are drawn from life.故事中的所有人物都取材于生活。

Her gaze was drawn irresistibly to the scene outside.她的目光禁不住被外面的风景所吸引。

相关单词：catching

catching解释：adj.易传染的，有魅力的，迷人的，接住

catching例句：

There are those who think eczema is catching.有人就是认为湿疹会传染。

Enthusiasm is very catching.热情非常富有感染力。

相关单词：blurted

blurted解释：v.突然说出，脱口而出( blurt的过去式和过去分词 )

blurted例句：

She blurted it out before I could stop her. 我还没来得及制止，她已脱口而出。

He blurted out the truth, that he committed the crime. 他不慎说出了真相，说是他犯了那个罪。 来自《简明英汉词典》

相关单词：appreciation

appreciation解释：n.评价；欣赏；感谢；领会，理解；价格上涨

appreciation例句：

I would like to express my appreciation and thanks to you all.我想对你们所有人表达我的感激和谢意。

I'll be sending them a donation in appreciation of their help.我将送给他们一笔捐款以感谢他们的帮助。

相关单词：guilt

guilt解释：n.犯罪；内疚；过失，罪责

guilt例句：

She tried to cover up her guilt by lying.她企图用谎言掩饰自己的罪行。

Don't lay a guilt trip on your child about schoolwork.别因为功课责备孩子而使他觉得很内疚。