LoveWithoutLimitations无限的爱Para1Mybrother,Jimmy,didnotgetenoughoxygenduringadifficultdelivery,leavinghimwithbraindamage,andtwoyearslaterIwasborn.Sincethen,myliferevolvedaroundmybrother’s.Accompanyingmygrowingupwasalways“gooutandplayandtakeyourbrotherwithyou”.Icouldn’tgoanywherewithouthim,soIurgedtheneighborhoodkidstocometomyhouseforsomeout-of-controlkid-centeredfun.我哥哥吉米出生时遇上难产,因为缺氧导致大脑受损。两年后,我出生了。从此以后,我的生活便围绕我哥哥转。伴随我成长的,是“到外面去玩,把你哥哥也带上”。不带上他,我是哪里也去不了的。因此,我怂恿邻居的孩子到我家来,尽情地玩孩子们玩的游戏。Para2MymothertaughtJimmypracticalthingslikehowtobrushhisteethorputonabelt.Myfather,asaint,simplyheldthehousetogetherwithhispatienceandunderstanding.IwasinchargeoutsidewhereIadministeredjusticebytrackingdowntheparentsofthekidswhopickedonmybrother,andtellingonthem.我母亲教吉米学习日常自理,比如刷牙或系鞋带什么的。我父亲宅心仁厚,他的耐心和理解使一家人心贴着心。我则负责外面的事,找到那些欺负我哥哥的孩子们的父母,告他们的状,为我哥哥讨回公道。Para3MyfatherandJimmywereinseparable.Theyatebreakfasttogetherandonweekdaysdroveofftothenavyshippingcentereverymorningwheretheybothworked—Jimmyunloadedcolor-codedboxes.Atnightafterdinner,theywouldtalkandplaygameslateintotheevening.Theyevenwhistledthesametunes.父亲和吉米形影不离。他们一道吃早饭,平时每天早上一道开车去海军航运中心,他们都在那里工作,吉米在那搬卸标有彩色代号的箱子。晚饭后,他们一道交谈,玩游戏,直到深夜。他们甚至用口哨吹相同的曲调。Para4Sowhenmyfatherdiedofaheartattackin1991,Jimmywasawreck,beneathhiscarefuldisguise.Hewassimplyindisbelief.Usuallyveryagreeable,henowquitspeakingaltogetherandnoamountofwordscouldpenetratethevacantexpressionheworeonhisface.Ihiredsomeonetolivewithhimanddrivehimtowork,butnomatterhowmuchIhiredsomeonetolivewithhimandsrivehimtowork,butnomatterhowmuchItriedtomakethingsstaythesame,evenJimmygraspedthattheworldhe’dknownwasgone.OnedayIasked,“YoumissDad,don’tyou?”Hislipsquiveredandthenheasked,“Whendoyouthink,Margaret?Hewasmybestfriend.”Ourtearsbegantoflow.所以,父亲1991年因心脏病去世时,吉米几乎崩溃了,尽管他尽量不表现出来。他就是不能相信父亲去世这一事实。通常,他是一个令人愉快的人,现在却一言不发,无论说多少话都不能透过他木然的脸部表情了解他的心事。我雇了一个人和他住在一起,开车送他去上班。然而,不管我怎么努力地维持原状,吉米还是认为他熟悉的世界已经消失了。有一天,我问他:“你是不是想念爸爸?”他的嘴唇颤抖了几下,然后问我:“你怎么看,玛格丽特?他是我最好的朋友。”接着,我俩都流下了眼泪。Para5MymotherdiedoflungcancersixmonthslaterandIalonewaslefttolookafterJimmy.六个月后,母亲因肺癌去世,剩下我一人来照顾吉米。Para6Hedidn’tadjusttogoingtoworkwithoutmyfatherrightaway,sohecameandlivedwithmeinNewYorkCityforawhile.HewentwhereverIwentandseemedtoadjustprettywell.Still,Jimmylongedtoliveinmyparents’houseandworkathisoldjobandIpledgedtohelphimreturn.Eventually,IwasabletoworkathisoldjobandIpledgedtohelphimreturn.Eventually,Iwasabletoworkitout.Hehaslivedtherefor11yearsnowwithmanydifferentcaretakersandblossomedonhisown.Hehasbecomeessentialtotheneighborhood.Whenyouhaveanymailtobepickeduporyourdogneedswalking,heisyourman.吉米不能马上适应去上班时没有父亲陪着,因此搬来纽约和我一起住了一段时间。我走到哪里他就跟到哪里,他好像适应得很好。但吉米依然想住在我父母的房子里,继续干他原来的工作。我答应把他送回去。此事最后做成了。如今,他在那里生活了11年,在许多人的照料下,同时依靠自己生活得有声有色。他已成了邻里间不可或缺的人物。如果你有邮件要收,或有狗要遛,他就是你所需要的人。Para7Mymotherwasright,ofcourse:Itwaspossibletohaveahomewithroomforbothhislimitationsandmyambitions.Infact,caringforsomeonewholovesasdeeplyandappreciatesmyeffortsasmuchasJimmydoeshasenrichedmylifemorethananythingelseevercouldhave.当然,母亲的话没错:可以有一个家,既能容纳他的缺陷又能装下我的雄心。事实上,关照像吉米这样一个深爱又感激我的人,更加丰富了我的生活,其他任何东西都不能与之相比。Para8ThishithomeafewdaysaftertheSeptember11thdisasteronJimmy’s57thbirthday.IhadapartyforhiminmyhomeinNewYork,butnoneofourfamilycouldjoinusbecausetravelwasdiffcultandtheywerestillreckoningwiththesheerterrorthedisasterhadbrought.Icalledonmyfaithfulfriendstohelpmakeitamerryandfestiveoccasion,ignoringthefactthatmostofthemwereemotionallydrainedandexhausted.Insteadofthecustomary“Nogifts,please”,Ishouted,“Gifts!Please!”这一点,在9.11灾难后几天更显真切。那天是吉米57岁生日。我在纽约自己的家里为他举办生日宴会,但是我们家的人都没能来参加,因为交通困难,而且灾难带来的恐惧使他们依然心有余悸。我邀请了我的好友,请他们来帮忙把宴会弄得热闹些,增加点欢快气氛,没有理会他们多数人在情感上都有些疲惫这一事实。于是我一反常态,没说“请不要带礼物”,而是向他们喊“请带礼物来”。Para9Myfriend—peopleJimmyhadcometoknowovertheyears—broughttheidealpresents:countrymusicCDs,asweatshirt,oneleatherbeltwith“J-I-M-M-Y”onit,aknittedwoolhatandacowboycostume.Theeveningleduptothegiftsandthenthechocolatecakefromhisfavoritebakery,andofcoursetheceremonywasn’tcompletewithoutthesinging.我的朋友—吉米认识他们多年了—带来了中意的礼物:乡村音乐CD、一件长袖运动衫、一条“吉米”字样的皮带、一顶编织的羊毛帽,还有一套牛仔服。那天晚上,我们先是送礼物,然后是切从他喜欢的面包店里买来的巧克力蛋糕,当然还唱了“生日歌”,否则宴会就不算完整了。Para10AthousandtimesJimmyasked,“Isittimeforthecakeyet?”AfterdinnerandthegiftsJimmycouldnolongerbereatrained.Heanxiouslywaitedforthecandlestobelitandthenblewthemoutwithonelongbreathasweallsang“HappyBirthday”.Jimmywasn’tsatisfiedwithoureffort,though.Hejumpeduponthechairandstooderectpointingbothindexfingersintotheairtoconductusandyelled,“One…more…time!”Wesangwithalloftheenergyleftinoursoulsandwhenwewerefinishedheputbothhisthumbsupandshouted,“Thatwassuper!”吉米一次次地问:“该切蛋糕了吧?”等用完餐和送完礼物后,吉米再也控制不住了。他焦急地等着点上蜡烛,然后在我们“生日快乐”的歌声中,一口长气吹灭了蜡烛。然而吉米对我们的努力还是感到不满足。他纵身跳到椅子上,直挺着身子,双手食指朝天,一边喊一边指挥我们唱歌:“再—来—一次!”我们全力以赴地唱。待我们唱完时,他翘起两个拇指喊道:“好极了!”Para11Wehadwantedtolethimknowthatnomatterhowdifficultthingsgotintheworld,therewouldalwaysbepeoplewhocaredabouthim.Weendedupremindingourselvesinstead.ForJimmy,thelovewithwhichwesangwasawelcomebonus,butmostlyhehadjustwantedtoseeeveryoneelsehappyagain.本来我们想让他知道,无论世上有多难的事情,总是有人来关心他。现在反倒是提醒了我们自己。对于吉米来说,我们唱歌时的爱心