Love Can Last Forever

I can honestly say it was the best of times and the worst of times. I was joyfully¹ expecting my first child at the same time that my once-energetic, zestful² mother was losing her battle with a brain tumor（脑瘤）.

For ten years, my fiercely independent and courageous³ mother had fought, but none of the surgeries or treatments had been successful. Still, she never lost her ability to smile. But now, finally, at only fifty-five, she became totally disabled -- unable to speak, walk, eat or dress on her own.

As she grew closer and closer to death, my baby grew closer and closer to life inside me. My biggest fear was that their lives would never connect. I grieved⁴ not only for the upcoming loss of my mother, but also that she and my baby would never know each other.

My fear seemed well-founded（有根据的）. A few weeks before my due date（预产期）, Mother lapsed⁵ into a deep coma⁶（深度昏迷）. Her doctors did not hold any hope; they told us her time was up. It was useless to put in a feeding tube, they said; she would never awaken⁷.

We brought Mother home to her own bed in her own house, and we insisted on care to keep her comfortable. As often as I could, I sat beside her and talked to her about the baby moving inside me. I hoped that somehow deep inside, she knew.

On February 3, 1989, at about the same time my labor（阵痛） started, Mother opened her eyes.　When they told me this at the hospital, I called her home and asked for the phone to be put to Mom's ear.

"Mom -- Mom -- listen. The baby is coming! You're going to have a new grandchild. Do you understand?"

"Yes!"

What a wonderful word!　The first clear word she'd spoken in months!

When I called again an hour later, the nurse at her house told me the impossible: Mom was sitting up, her oxygen tubes removed.　She was smiling.

"Mom, it's a boy! You have a new grandson!"

"Yes! Yes! I know!"

Four words. Four beautiful words.

By the time I brought Jacob home, Mom was sitting in her chair, dressed and ready to welcome him. Tears of joy blocked my vision as I laid my son in her arms and she clucked at（逗弄）him.

They stared at each other.

They knew.

For two more weeks, Mother clucked, smiled and held Jacob. For two weeks she spoke⁸ to my father, her children and grandchildren in complete sentences. For two miracle weeks, she gave us joy.

Then she quietly slipped back into a coma and, after visits from all her children, was finally free of the pain and confines of a body that no longer did her will.

Memories of my son's birth will always be bittersweet（苦乐掺半）for me, but it was at this time that I learned an important truth　about living. For while both joy and sorrow are fleeting⁹, and often intertwined, love has the power to overcome both. And love can last forever.

1 joyfully   

adv. 喜悦地, 高兴地

参考例句：

• She tripped along joyfully as if treading on air. 她高兴地走着，脚底下轻飘飘的。
• During these first weeks she slaved joyfully. 在最初的几周里，她干得很高兴。

2 zestful   

adj.有滋味

参考例句：

• Seeing his family after three months away was a zestful moment. 在离开三个月之后见到他的家人是很令人感到来劲的时刻。 来自互联网

3 courageous   

adj.勇敢的，有胆量的

参考例句：

• We all honour courageous people.我们都尊重勇敢的人。
• He was roused to action by courageous words.豪言壮语促使他奋起行动。

4 grieved   

伤心的

参考例句：

• He grieved to know that his mother had passed away. 得知母亲去世，他很悲痛。
• The uncalled-for criticism grieved her. 无缘无故的批评使她伤心。

5 lapsed   

adj.流失的，堕落的v.退步( lapse的过去式和过去分词 )；陷入；倒退；丧失

参考例句：

• He had lapsed into unconsciousness. 他陷入了昏迷状态。
• He soon lapsed into his previous bad habits. 他很快陷入以前的恶习中去。 来自《简明英汉词典》

6 coma   

n.昏迷，昏迷状态

参考例句：

• The patient rallied from the coma.病人从昏迷中苏醒过来。
• She went into a coma after swallowing a whole bottle of sleeping pills.她吃了一整瓶安眠药后就昏迷过去了。

7 awaken   

vi.醒，觉醒；vt.唤醒，使觉醒，唤起，激起

参考例句：

• Old people awaken early in the morning.老年人早晨醒得早。
• Please awaken me at six.请于六点叫醒我。

8 spoke   

n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说

参考例句：

• They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
• The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。

9 fleeting   

adj.短暂的，飞逝的

参考例句：

• The girls caught only a fleeting glimpse of the driver.女孩们只匆匆瞥了一眼司机。
• Knowing the life fleeting,she set herself to enjoy if as best as she could.她知道这种日子转瞬即逝，于是让自已尽情地享受。