Anonymous
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后来，每逢感恩节我们都会收到父亲的一捧鲜亮的菊花；圣诞节会有一大束粉红色的一品红；复活节是圣洁的百合花；生日时会有娇艳欲滴的红玫瑰；庆祝孩子出世或是我们搬入了第一个家，父亲都会送来那个季节里盛开的许多种鲜花扎成的花束。
I was nine when my father first sent me flowers.I had been taking tap dancing lessons for six months，and the school was giving its yearly recital.As an excited member of the beginners'chorus line，I was aware of my lowly1 status.
So it was a surprise to have my name called out at the end of the show along with the lead dancers and to find my arms full of long-stemmed red roses.I can still feel myself standing on that stage，blushing furiously2 and gazing over the footlights to see my father's grin as he applauded loudly.
Those roses were the first in a series of large bouquets that accompanied all the milestones in my life.They brought a sense of ambivalence3，of being caught between pleasure and embarrassment.I enjoyed them，but was flustered4 by the extravagance.
Not my father.He did everything in a big way.If you sent him to the bakery for a cake，he came back with three.Once，when mother told him I needed a new party dress，he brought home a dozen.
His behavior often left us without funds for other more important things.After the dress incident，there was no money for the winter coat I really needed—or the new ice skates I wanted.
Sometimes I would be angry with him，but not for long.Inevitably he would buy me something to make up with me.The gift was so apparently an offering of love he could not verbalize that I would throw my arms around him and kiss him—an act that undoubtedly perpetuated5 his behavior.
Then came my 16th birthday.It was not a happy occasion.I was fat and had no boyfriend.And my well-meaning6 parents furthered my misery by giving me a party.As I entered the dining room，there on the table next to my cake was a huge bouquet of flowers，bigger than any before.
I wanted to hide.Now everyone would think my father had sent flowers because I had no boyfriend to do it.Sweet 16，and I felt like crying.I probably would have，but my best friend，Phyllis，whispered，'Boy，you're lucky to have a father like that.'
As the years passed，other occasions—birthdays，recitals，awards，graduations—were marked with Dad's flowers.My emotions continued to seesaw7 between pleasure and embarrassment.
When I graduated from college，though，my days of ambivalence were over.I was embarking on8 a new career and was engaged to be married.Dad's flowers symbolized his pride and my triumph.They evoked only great pleasure.
Now there were bright-orange mums for Thanksgiving and a huge pink poinsettia at Christmas.White lilies at Easter，and velvety red roses for birthdays.Seasonal flowers in mixed bouquets celebrated the births of my children and the move to our first house.
As my fortunes grew，my father's waned，but his gifts of flowers continued until he died of a heart attack a few months before his 70th birthday.Without embarrassment，I covered his coffin with the largest，reddest roses I could find.
Often in the dozen years since，I felt an urge to go out and buy a big bouquet to fill the living room，but I never did.I knew it would not be the same.
Then one birthday，the doorbell rang.I was feeling blue because I was alone.My husband was playing golf and my two daughters were away.My 13-year-old son，Matt，had run out earlier with a'see you later'，never mentioning my birthday.So I was surprised to see his large frame at the door.'Forgot my key，'he said，shrugging，'Forgot your birthday too.Well，I hope you like flowers，Mum.'He pulled a bunch of daisies from his back.
'Oh，Matt，'I cried，hugging him hard，'I love flowers！'
父亲第一次送给我鲜花是在我九岁那年。当时，我在学校踢踏舞班已经学了六个月，学校要举行一年一度的演出。我被编入初级合唱队，却依然格外激动。不过我也清楚，自己只是个微不足道的小角色。
可演出一结束，我很吃惊地发现我竟与领舞的演员们一起给叫到了台上。我怀里抱着一大束枝繁叶茂的红玫瑰。我至今依然记得自己站在舞台上，双颊绯红，越过绚丽的脚灯光线向下张望，看见了父亲的笑脸，他一个劲地鼓着掌，开怀大笑。
这束鲜花是第一束，往后的日子里，我人生的每一个里程碑，都有鲜花陪伴。可收到那些鲜花，我却总是感觉很矛盾：既高兴，又有些不自在。我欢欣鼓舞，可又因这种奢侈而感到极为不安。
可父亲却从不这样认为，他做什么事都很慷慨。你如果让他去糕点铺买一块蛋糕，他一定会买三块回来。一次，母亲对他说我需要一套晚礼服，他竟带回家一打。
他的这种行为常常让我们没有多余的钱去添置其它更需要的东西。礼服事件后，家里就再也没钱去买我真正急需的冬衣和我想要的新溜冰鞋。
有时候我会生爸爸的气，但持续时间不会太久。因为每次他必定会给我买些礼物让我与他和好。显然，这些礼物传达着他不善用言辞表达的爱。这时我便会搂着他，亲吻他——而我的举动毫无疑问地又会使他继续大手大脚下去。
后来迎来了我16岁的生日，可我并不开心。因为我长得胖，没有男朋友。父母好心好意地为我准备了生日派对，可这让我更觉得难受。我走进餐厅时，看见桌子上的蛋糕旁边，放着很大一束鲜花，比以往的要大得多。
我真想找个地缝钻进去，这下谁都会以为我没有男朋友送花，只好由我爸爸来送了。本该是甜蜜的16岁生日，我却只想哭。或许当时我就要哭了，但我最要好的朋友菲利斯在我耳边小声说：“嘿，你真幸运，有这么好的爸爸。”
许多年过去了，这些特别的场合，像我的生日、公开演出、颁奖仪式、毕业典礼，都会有父亲的鲜花陪伴。我的心情也依然不断徘徊在高兴与困窘之间。
可等到我大学毕业时，那种矛盾困惑的心情消失了。我正在开创一番新事业，也已经订了婚。父亲的鲜花代表了他的骄傲，也标志着我的成功。它们带来的只有极大的喜悦。
后来，每逢感恩节我们都会收到父亲的一捧鲜亮的菊花；圣诞节会有一大束粉红色的一品红；复活节是圣洁的百合花；生日时会有娇艳欲滴的红玫瑰；庆祝孩子出世或是我们搬入了第一个家，父亲都会送来那个季节里盛开的许多种鲜花扎成的花束。
我的经济状况不断好转，父亲却日渐衰老，但他依然坚持送给我鲜花，一直持续到70岁生日的前几个月，他因心脏病发作而去世了。我在他的棺木上铺满了我所能找得到的最大最红的玫瑰，没有一丝困窘。
此后的十二年中，我常常有一股冲动，想去买一大束鲜花，把客厅装饰起来。可我始终没那么做，我知道，即便买来，花已不是从前的花了。
后来有一天我生日，门铃响了。当时，我本来很沮丧，因为只有我一人呆在家中。丈夫在打高尔夫球，两个女儿也不在家。13岁的儿子马特说了声“待会儿见”也跑出去了，只字未提我的生日。所以当我看见马特高大的身影出现在门口时，我很惊讶，他耸了耸肩，说道：“忘带钥匙了，也忘了今天是您的生日，妈妈，我希望您会喜欢这些花。”说着，他从背后抽出一束雏菊。
“哦，马特，”我大声叫了出来，紧紧地搂住他，“我非常喜欢这些花。”
生词与短语 New Words and Expressions
1.lowly adj.地位低的，谦卑的，卑微的
2.furiously adv.狂怒地；有力地
3.ambivalence n.矛盾的心理
4.fluster v.使惊慌失措
5.perpetuate v.使持续，使永存
6.well-meaning出于好心的，好心好意的
7.seesaw v.（局势、意见、感情等）摇摆不定，反复
8.embark on从事，着手，开始工作
妙语连珠：Beautiful Sentences
1）They brought a sense of ambivalence，of being caught between pleasure and embarrassment.I enjoyed them，but was flustered by the extravagance.
可收到那些鲜花，我却总是感觉很矛盾：既高兴，又有些不自在。我欢欣鼓舞，可又因这种奢侈而感到极为不安。
2）My emotions continued to seesaw between pleasure and embarrassment.
我的心情也依然不断徘徊在高兴与困窘之间。
心灵感悟：
盛开的鲜花，谱出了多彩的乐章，不仅给人带来了欢欣，更重要的是传递了爱的语言。