生活中，往往是一些简单的事情对我们影响深远。简单的事情会改变我们对人生的看法，左右我们做决定的方式，并在我们心中留下永恒的记忆。

　　那是九月中旬的一个下午，我三个月大的儿子正在婴儿床里午睡。一个下午我都在布置威斯康辛的新家。那是个雨天，虽不寒冷，但是细雨淅淅沥沥地从早晨一直下到下午。

　　我晃悠到客厅，想拿些玩具毛毯，不经意间从二楼阳台的窗户瞥了一眼。只见路面上形成了很多小水坑，雨也越下越小。

　　楼下，草坪和人行道的交界处有一个大的水洼，那里站着一个四岁左右的男孩。他身着T恤和短裤，脚蹬一双红雨靴。带着一股新奇劲儿和高兴劲儿，他在水洼里跺来跺去，一时泥水四溅。他不停地走啊、踩啊，溅起一阵又一阵水花，享受着大自然母亲带给他的幸福瞬间。

　　他的母亲就站在旁边不远的地方，看着儿子探索自己的世界。她看着水滴随着儿子的脚步在空中飞舞，最后落到男孩的头上、衣服上和身上，溅起了一身的泥点。但是她依然站在一旁，面带微笑地注视着男孩。这只是我在隐蔽的角落里看到的普普通通的一幕。对于一个没有留意的路人眼中，这只是两个人的再寻常不过的一天。但初为人母的我对母亲的幸福和体验尤为敏感，那感动的瞬间永远改变了我对母亲职责的看法。

　　男孩的母亲允许她的孩子在水洼中玩耍，这让我感到震撼。那天，我告诉自己，作为母亲将来也要让自己的孩子跺脚踩过人生的生涯。

　　生活中这一简单瞬间让我停下脚步，并且意识到这些简单的事物原来如此重要。随着那个穿红色雨靴的男孩慢慢长大，他可能不会记得他的母亲带他出门，让他在水洼里踩水的每个下午，也可能不会记得母亲允许他触摸的每只小虫。

　　或许，从这个天真的孩子身上，我们都可以获得启迪：无须在暴风雨到来时匆忙奔跑或者着急躲避，而是沉醉其中，边探索边享受。或许我们都应该经常在雨中驻足游玩。或许随着我作为母亲经验的不断增长和演变，我会学到更多，我的看法也会随之改变。但是可以肯定的一点是，我的儿子一学会走路，我就会去给他买一双雨靴。

　　It’s often the simple things in life that make the most significant impact on us. Simple things that change our view of life, change the way we make decisions, leave lasting memories in our minds.

　　It was late one afternoon in mid-September. My then three-month-old son was napping in his crib and I was spending the afternoon getting settled into our new home in Wisconsin. It was a rainy day. Not cold, but a steady drizzle had been falling all morning and into the afternoon.

　　As I wandered through our living room, picking up toys and blankets, I happened to glance out my second story balcony window. Puddles had formed on the ground and the rain had slowed.

　　Down below, where the grass met the pavement and a large puddle had formed, stood a boy of about four. He wore a T-shirt and a pair of shorts and up to his knees he sported a pair of red, rubber boots. Filled with a mixture of fascination and glee, he stomped through the puddle, mud and water flying. Over and over he walked, stomped, splashed through that puddle, happily enjoying what Mother Nature had left for him.

　　Not more than four feet away stood his mother, watching as her son explored his world. She watched as water droplets, airborne because of his stomping, landed on the boy’s head, clothes and body. Mud flecks flew all around him and still she stood and watched with a pleasant smile on her face. To an unnoticing passerby it was just two people going about their day. But from my new found sensitivity to the joys and experiences of motherhood, it was a touching moment that altered the way I will forever view my role as a mother.

　　I was stuck at how the mother allowed her son to enjoy the puddles and promised myself that day that I would be the kind of mother who lets my child stomp through life’s puddles.

　　A simple moment in my life made me stop and realize just how important the simple things really are. As the little boy in the rubber boots grows up, he probably will not remember each afternoon that his mother took him outside and let him stomp in the puddles or each bug that she let him stop to touch.

　　He may not remember each little thing that his mother does for him everyday—each time she lets him explore his world. But he will remember that his mother loved him and he will know that she helped him to learn and grow in a pleasant and fun environment.

　　Maybe we can all learn from the innocence for childhood that views a rainstorm not as something to run through or to avoid, but something meant to fascinate, to explore and to enjoy. Maybe we should all stop to play in the rain more often. Maybe I will learn more and my views will change as my experience of motherhood grows and evolves. But one thing I know for sure. As soon as my son can walk, I am buying him a pair of rubber boots.

　　(摘自《忘忧草英汉对照》2010·水仙号)