孩子：你多大年纪了，外婆？

外婆： 我81岁了，亲爱的。

孩子： 那是不是你经历过新冠病毒时期？

外婆：是的，我的孩子。

孩子：喔。那一定是非常恐怖吧，外婆。我们这个星期在学校讲到了这个时期。 他们告诉我们那个时候学校都关门了，妈妈和爸爸不能去工作了，很多想去做的事情也没有钱去做了。

他们说你们都不能出去和朋友玩儿了，也不能去亲戚家，哪儿都不能去了。

他们还说商店里面好多东西都卖空了，所以你们有时候会买不到面包，面粉还有卷筒纸。

他们还说夏天的度假也没有了，好多好多的人病了，死了。

医生和护士还有许多必需工作的人在那个时候都在努力工作，他们中间也有好多人死了。

那一定非常可怕，外婆！

外婆：是的，你说的都是对的。我长大后读了好多关于那个时期的书，书里说的是这样子。可是让我告诉你我记忆里的那个时期吧……

我记得我和爸爸妈妈在院子里玩，我记得我们有无数的烧烤和野餐。

我记得我自己做了很多东西，还和妈妈烘培，和爸爸钓鱼。

我记得我做了自己的堡垒，我学会了后空翻和倒立。我记得我和爸爸妈妈在一起度过了一段难忘的时光。

我记得妈妈那个时候最喜欢说的是：“嘿，我有个主意……。”而不再是：“我有点忙，也许晚一点或者明天。”

我记得我们自己做面包和点心。

我记得我们一周看3，4部电影，而不是原来一周只能看一部。

是的，对好多人来说，那是一段非常糟糕的时期，可是在我记忆里有一些不一样。

我们希望我们的孩子如何记得这一段时光呢？也许等他们长大以后会通过阅读知道我们现在经历着的是一段多么糟糕的时期，可是现在让我们努力给孩子创造一段快乐的回忆吧。

Here’s your dose of calm

Child - "How old are you, Grandpa?"

Grandpa - "I'm 81, dear."

Child - "So does that mean you were alive during the Coronavirus?"

Grandpa - "Yes, I was."

Child - "Wow. That must have been horrible, Grandpa. We were learning about that at school this week.

They told us about how all the schools had closed. And moms and dads couldn't go to work so didn't have as much money to do nice things.

They said that you weren't allowed to go and visit your friends and family and couldn't go out anywhere.

They told us that the shops and stores ran out of lots of things so you didn't have much bread, and flour, and toilet rolls.

They said that summer holidays were cancelled. And they told us about all those thousands of people that got very sick and who died.

They explained how hard all the doctors and nurses and all essential workers worked, and that lots of them died, too.

That must have been so horrible, grandpa!"

Grandpa - "Well, that is all correct.

And I know that because I read about it when I was older.

But to tell you the truth I remember it differently...

I remember playing in the garden for hours with mom and dad and having picnics outside and lots of bbqs.

I remember making things and fishing with my Dad and baking with my Mom.

I remember making forts and learning how to do hand stands and back flips. I remember having quality time with my family.

I remember Mom's favorite words becoming 'Hey, I've got an idea...'

Rather than 'Maybe later or tomorrow I'm a bit busy'.

I remember making our own bread and pastry. I remember having movie night three or four times a week instead of just one.

It was a horrible time for lots of people you are right.

But I remember it differently."

Remember how our children will remember these times.

Be in control of the memories they are creating right now, so that through all the awful headlines and emotional stories for so many that they will come to read in future years, they can remember the happy times.

Author unknown.

嵩山南路翻译。