I feel Mom with me always. She had the heart to face anything. And she taught me I could， too.
Mom with Me Always
I am my mothers third child， born when she was 20. When I was delivered， nurses took me from the room before she could see me. Her doctor gently explained that my left arm was missing， below the elbow. Then he gave her some advice： “Dont treat her differently than the other girls. Demanddemand vt.& n.要求；需要 more.” And she did.
我感到妈妈永远同我在一起。她有信心面对任何困难，她教会我也能做得到。
妈妈同我在一起
妈妈生我时20岁，我在家排行第三。我刚出生时，她还没有看看我，我就被护士从产房给抱走了。医生温和地解释说，我的左肘以下没有手臂。然后他建议：“要和其他女儿一样对待她，对你的要求会更多些。”她做到了。
Even before my father left us， my mother had to go back to work to support our family. There were five of us girls in our Modesto， California， home， and we all had to help outhelp out 帮助(某人做某事)， 帮助(某人)解决困难. Once when I was about seven， I came out of the kitchen， whining， “Mom， I cant peel potatoes. I only have one hand.”
Mom never looked up from sewing. “You get yourself into that kitchen and peelpeel v.剥， 削， 剥落 those potatoes，” she told me. “And dont use that as an excuse for anything again！”
Of course I could peel potatoes with my good hand， while holding them down with my other arm. There was always a way， and Mom knew it. “If you try hard enough，” shed say， “you can do anything.”
In second grade， our teacher lined up my class on the playground and had each of us race across the monkey bars， swing from one high rod to the next.
甚至父亲离开我们之前，母亲就得重返工作来维护生计。我们家5个女孩，我们住在加利福尼亚州莫德斯托，我们都得帮着干活。大约在我7岁时，有一次，我从厨房里出来，嘀嘀咕咕地说道：“妈，我削不了土豆皮，我只有一只手。”
妈妈没有抬头看我，继续缝着。“你到厨房去削土豆，”她告诉我。“再不要用这个来当借口了！”
我当然能用左胳臂按着削土豆皮，用右手可以削。母亲知道总会有办法的。她常说：“只要你努力去做，没有什么办不到。”
小学二年级时，老师让我们班同学排队在操场上举行猴架比赛，比赛规则就是从一个高杠荡到另一个杠。
When it was my turn， I shook my head. Some kids behind me laughed. I went home crying.
That night I told Mom about it. She huggedhug vt.搂n.拥抱 me， and I saw her “well see about that” look. When she got off work the next afternoon， she took me back to school. At the deserted playground， Mom looked carefully at the bars.
“Now， pull up with your right arm，” she advised. She stood by as I struggled to lift myself with my right hand until I could hook the bar with my other elbow. Day after day we practiced， and she praised me for every rung I reached.
Ill never forget the next time my class lined up at the monkey bars. Crossing the rungs， I looked down at the kids whod made fun of me. Now they were standing with their mouths open.
轮到我的时候，我摇着头。我听到身后有同学在笑我。我一路哭着跑回家。
那晚我把这件事告诉了母亲。她拥抱着我，我看到她脸上那“我们等着瞧”的表情。第二天下午她忙完工作后带我来到学校。在空空荡荡的操场上，她仔细地看着那些杠子。
“现在用你的右胳臂拉上去，”她建议我说。她站在一旁，我用右手奋力拉自己上杆，直到我能用左肘勾住杠子。我们每天都这样练习着，她为我每一次荡过一个杠子而称赞我。
我永远忘不了全班同学再次排队站在猴架旁的那一幕情景。我荡过一个个杠子，俯视那些曾经嘲笑过我的同学。这下他们都瞠目结舌地站着。
It was that way with everything： instead of doing things for me， or excusing me， my mother insistedinsist vt.& vi.坚持；坚决主张 I find a way to do them myself. At times I resentedresent v.愤恨， 怨恨 her. She doesnt know what its like， I thought.
She doesnt care how hard it is. But one night， after a dance at my new junior high， I lay in bed sobbing. I could hear Mom come into my room.
“Whats the matter？” she asked gently.
“Mom，” I answered， weeping， “none of the boys would dance with me because of my arm.”
