成长的印记
当你的孩子是个婴儿时，你所记得的，是你对自己创造出的堪称完美奇迹的作品，感到不可思议的敬畏。你记得你有大量的时间去传授你所有的智慧和知识。你认为你的孩子将会接受你所有的忠告而少犯错误，将会比孩提时代的你聪明许多。你多希望你的孩子快快长大。
孩子两岁时，你所记得的，是从不能独自使用卫生间，从不看一部与动物无关的电影。你记得那些蜷缩在卧室储衣间跟朋友通电话的下午，深信你的孩子将是第一个身着套头衫出席毕业典礼的常春藤名牌大学毕业生。你记得你担心那袋M＆M巧克力糖会在你的衣兜里融化，毁了你体面的衣服。你多希望你的孩子更独立些。
孩子五岁时，你所记得的，是他上学第一天你终于独自拥有整个房子了。你记得参加家长—教师联系会，在你离开会议室去洗手间时，你当选为会长。你记得孩子问你“圣诞老人是真的吗？”你回答“是的”，因为他还需要你的肯定回答，尽管不久他就能自己判断了。你记得在沙发垫子下一通翻腾要找出些零钱，这样牙齿仙女就会来把你孩子掉的第一颗牙带走。你多希望孩子的牙都换成了恒牙。
孩子七岁时，你所记得的，是合伙用车的时间安排。你学会了在两分钟内化完妆，照着汽车后视镜刷牙，因为你能给你自己找出的时间就只有汽车停在红灯前的那小段。你想过把你的车子漆成黄色，并在车库门旁的草坪上立一个“出租车”的标志牌。你记得有几次你下车后，人们盯着你，因为你不断用脚踩油门加速，制造噪音。你多希望孩子有一天能学会开车。
孩子10岁时，你所记得的，是怎么组织学校的募捐者。你们为重新粉刷学校兜售包装纸，为购置新家具兜售T恤衫，为在学校操场上种植遮阳树劝人订阅各种杂志。你记得你在车库里存放了上百盒糖果等待出售，得到钱后学校的乐队就可以购置新制服，可是那些糖果竟在一个暖和得过头的春天的下午全都融化在一起了。你多希望孩子长大，不再演奏什么乐器了。
孩子12岁时，你所记得的，是孩子在体育场打棒球练习赛时，你坐在看台上希望你孩子所在的队很快三击不中出局，因为家里还有更重要的事等你去做。教练不明白你为什么那么忙。你多希望棒球赛季能尽快结束。
孩子14岁时，你所记得的，是他不让你早晨把汽车停在校门口。你不得不开过两个街区，车还没停稳就赶紧打开车门。你记得没能在他的朋友面前跟他吻别或说话。你多希望孩子能更成熟些。
孩子16岁时，你所记得的，是吵闹的音乐和以富有节奏的拍子尖声唱出的难以听懂的歌词。你多希望孩子快点长大成人，带着音响离开家吧。
孩子18岁时，你所记得的，是他们出生的那一天，拥有世间所有的时光。
当你在静静的房子里走来走去时，你纳闷他们去哪里了——你多希望孩子别这么快就长大了。
If I Were a Boy Again
If I were a boy again，I would practice perseverance more often，and never give up a thing because it was hard or inconvenient.If we want light，we must conquer darkness.Perseverance can sometimes equal genius in its results.“There are only two creatures，”says a proverb，“who can surmount the pyramids——the eagle wand the snail.”
If I were a boy again，I would school myself into a habit of attention；I would let nothing come between me and the subject in hand.I would remember that a good skater never tries to skate in two directions at once.The habit of attention becomes part of our life，if we begain early enough.I often hear grown up people say “I could not fix my attention on the sermon or book，although I wished to do so”，and the reason is，the habit was not formed in youth.
If I were to live my life over again，I would pay more attention to the cultivation of the memory.I would strengthen that faculty by every possible means，and on every possible occasion.It takes a little hard work at first to remember things accurately；but memory soon helps itself，and gives very little trouble.It only needs early cultivation to become a power.
If I were a boy again，I would cultivate courage.“Nothing is so mild and gentle as courage，nothing so cruel and pitiless as cowardice，”syas a wise author.We too often borrow trouble，and anticipate that may never appear.“The fear of ill exceeds the ill we fear.”Dangers will arise in any career，but presence of mind will often conquer the worst of them.Be prepared for any fate，and there is no harm to be freared.
If I were a boy again，I would look on the cheerful side.Life is very much like a mirror：if you smile upon it，It smiles back upon you；but if you frown and look doubtful on it，you will get a similar look in return.Inner sunshine warms not only the heart of the owner，but of all that come in contact with it.“Who shuts love out，in turn shall be shut out from love.”Importance of learning very early in life to gain that point where a young boy can stand erect，and decline.
If I were a boy again，I would school myself to say no more often.I might write pages on the doing an unworthy act because it is unworthy.
If I were a boy again，I would demand of myself more courtesy towards my companions and friends，and indeed towards strangers as well.The smallest courtesies along the rough roads of life are like the little birds that sing to us all winter long，and make that season of ice and snow more endurable.
Finally，instead of trying hard to be happy，as if that were the sole purpose of life，I would ，if I were a boy again，I would still try harder to make others happy.
假如我又回到了童年
假如我又回到了童年，我做事要更有毅力，决不因为事情艰难或者麻烦而撒手不干。我们要光明，就得征服黑暗。毅力在效果上有时能同天才相比。俗话说：“能登上金字塔的生物，只有两种——鹰和蜗牛。”
假如我又回到了童年，我就要养成专心致志的习惯；有事在手，就决不让任何东西让我分心。我要牢记：优秀的滑冰手从不试图同时滑向两个不同的方向。如果及早养成这种专心致志的习惯，它将成为我们生命的一部分。我常听成年人说：“虽然我希望能集中注意听牧师讲道或读书，但往往做不到。”而原因就是年轻时没有养成这种习惯。
假如我现在能重新开始我的生命，我就要更注意记忆力的培养。我要采取一切可能的办法，并且在一切可能的场合，增强记忆力。要正确无误地记住一些东西，在开始阶段的确要做出一番小小的努力；但要不了多久，记忆力本身就会起作用，使记忆成为轻而易举的事，只需及早培养，记忆自会成为一种才能。
假如我又回到了童年，我就要培养勇气。一位明智的作家曾说过：“世上没有东西比勇气更温文尔雅，也没有东西比懦怯更残酷无情。”我们常常过多地自寻烦恼，杞人忧天。“怕祸害比祸害本身更可怕。”凡事都有危险，但镇定沉着往往能克服最严重的危险。对一切祸福做好准备，那么就没有什么灾难可以害怕的了。
假如我又回到了童年，我就要事事乐观。生活犹如一面镜子：你朝它笑，它也朝你笑；如果你双眉紧锁，向它投以怀疑的目光，它也将还以你同样的目光。内心的欢乐不仅温暖了欢乐者自己的心，也温暖了所有与之接触者的心。“谁拒爱于门外，也必将被爱拒诸门外。”
假如我又回到了童年，我就要养成经常说“不”字的习惯。一个少年要能挺得起腰，拒绝做不应该做的事，就因为这事不值得做。我可以写上好几页谈谈早年培养这一点的重要性。
假如我又回到了童年，我就要要求自己对伙伴和朋友更加礼貌，而且对陌生人也应如此。在坎坷的生活道路上，最细小的礼貌犹如在漫长的冬天为我们歌唱的小鸟，那歌声使冰天雪地的寒冬变得较易忍受。
最后，假如我又回到了童年，我不会力图为自己谋幸福，好像这就是人生惟一的目的；与之相反，我要更努力为他人谋幸福。
Life Is Too Short
I would have gone to bed when I was sick instead of pretending the earth would go into a holding pattern if I weren’t there for the day.
I would have burned the pink candle sculpted like a rose before it melted in storage.
I would have talked less and listened more.
I would have invited friends over to dinner even if the carpet was stained，or the sofa faded.
I would have eaten the popcorn in the “good”living room and worried much less about the dirt when someone wanted to light a fire in the fireplace.
I would have taken the time to listen to my grandfather ramble about his youth.
I would never have insisted the car windows be rolled up on a summer day because my hair had just been teased and sprayed.
I would have sat on the lawn with my children and not worried about grass stains.
I would have cried and laughed less while watching television—and more while watching life.
I would never have bought anything just because it was practical，wouldn’t show soil，or was guaranteed to last a lifetime.Instead of wishing away nine months of pregnancy，I’d have cherished every moment and realized that the wonderment growing inside me was the only chance in life to assist God in a miracle.