My Most Unforgettable Character 我 最 难 忘 的 人.docx

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