妹妹忽然就感染上了流感病毒。星期三的晚上她还打电话给好朋友，笑得乐呵呵的，到了半夜，爬到我的床上，说头痛得厉害。我一摸，额头飞烫。我起身倒一杯 水，拿两片泰诺，递给她吃了，拥着她，熬过了后半夜。清晨，我为她向学校请了假，可我不能不上班。嘱咐她吃药，把水放在她的床边，轻轻吻一下她的发烫的额 头，还是出了门。虽然，我从她迷蒙的双眼里读出了对我的不舍，但我没有办法，我们都必须坚强一些。

4.

可是, 要想见到Elizabeth也并不是一件容易的事. 因为每天早晨, 当他们还都在睡梦中的时候, 我就顶着晨曦去上班了, 先生把两个孩子送到学校, 我在每天准时下班去接WW. 学校学生3:30就放学了, 家里有人照顾的, 放学就被接回家了, 而象我这样的双职工, 就让孩子继续上课后班, 家长下班后再去接他们. 我每天匆匆忙忙赶到学校的时候, Elizabeth早已经被接回家了, 想想, 我总不能因为要想见儿子的"女朋友"而专程请假吧.机会终于来了.

上个星期过万圣节, 那一天, 每个孩子都可以穿上各种各样的服装, 在学校开”PARTY”. 我和先生商量谁参加学校的活动, 先生说他忙, 我也就乐不思蜀地把任务承担了下来, 想到终于可以见一见这个cute girl 了, 说实在的,我心里还真是有点激动.

中午早早就到了学校, 推开WW班级的门, 满屋的”动物”, “人物”, 还真有点象个” 动物园”和”大剧院”. WW今年打扮成一个小乌龟, Elizabeth打扮成什么样呢? 对了, 好象听WW讲过, 是个小猫.

5.
我跟老师和WW打过招呼后, 就开始搜寻小猫. 放眼望去, 班级里竟然有好几个“小猫”, 有小花猫, 小黒猫, 还有小白猫, 个个都挺cute. 到底哪个是Elizabeth呢?心里还真是没底. 正当我啄磨的时候, 看到WW在跟谁作鬼脸, 我顺着他的视线望去, 哇, 原来“小黒猫”也正在冲他作鬼脸. 啊, 明白了.

找了个机会,我笑呵呵地问“ 小黒猫”: “what’s your name?” “Elizabeth”, “小黒猫”很大方, 我正在想往下该说什么的时候, “小黒猫”主动发话了: “I usually play with WW, I like to play with him. ” “Really? WHY?” 我假装吃惊地问: “Because he is very friendly.” “Did you parent come here today?” 我想套套她的“Background”, “No, I just have a baby brother, they are too busy”. 我看着Elizabeth那可爱的笑脸和“金色”的头发, 还真的猜不出来她来自哪个国家.

“May I have a play-day with WW ?” Elizabeth主动问到. “Sure” 对于这么cute girl的请求, 我能说不吗? “I may not invite WW to my house now, but can we meet in Sunnyvale park? ” 说实在的, 我们不是住在一个CITY, 还真不知道她说的那个公园在哪里, 但是, 我也不能流露出来, “I can give you my home phone number, so you can call my parent someday.” 小姑娘流利的说出了她家的电话号码和住的CITY.我也正式地记在了本子上.
 

6.
PARTY的时间很快就要结束了, 家长们们都在忙忙碌碌的给这些可爱的“小动物”们, “大人物” 们照相,录像. 今天能见到小儿子的"女朋友", 这么落落大方, 天真活泼的cute girl, 我当然不会错过这个难得的机会. 在给WW照相的同时, 也抓拍了不少Elizabeth的镜头.

Elizabeth大概看我这个“阿姨”还挺友好的, 就笑笑问我: “May I take a picture with WW ?” “ of course, 当然, 当然”, Elizabeth快速跑到WW 的面前说: “Your Mom said I can take a picture with you”, 想不到却遭到WW 的反对: “Oh, No, No……” 一边说一边跑开了, Elizabeth就在后边追: “ It’s OK, you are still my friend……”.

这么有趣的瞬间, 这么难得的时刻, 我就对WW 略施小计, WW 终于答应了: “OK, fine…….”. 我赶紧拿起相机, 不停地按下快门……最后是照全班集体照, Elizabeth坐在了第一排, 还用手保留住右边的位置, “WW , come here”, William却傻傻的问老师他应该去哪里, 老师被这么多孩子家长围着, 两手一摊: “哪有地方就坐哪吧”. WW 回过头去, Elizabeth身边的位置已经被别人占了, 他也就随便找了个位置坐下, 接下来就是咔咔的快门声和孩子们欢快的笑声……

参加完PARTY, 我还得急忙赶回公司上班, 刚出学校大门, 手机响了, 原来是老工打来的: “PARTY结束了?” “结束了”. “见到Elizabeth了吗?” 哇, 原来劳工跟俺一样惦记着这事……

几天以后, WW告诉我: “Elizabeth told me she Like me and Love me, 问我你为什么还不给她家打电话, 所以我们可以有一个Play-date.” 我说, “妈妈不认识Elizabeth的父母, 不知道该讲什么”, “That’s ok, but make sure when you call, don’t speak Chinese.”

7.
孩子们的友爱是纯洁的, 是透明的. 他们不用掩饰, 不用矜持, 他们也许还不理解爱的涵义, 多年以后, 他们也许会彼此忘记, 当你对他们提起这段往事的时候, 他们也许会不好意思, 会害羞, 但谁能说, 这不是一个美丽的瞬间呢?
 

APPLICATIONS NOW
BEING ACCEPTED

Click here to be directed to the Scholarship Program application page. The deadline to submit your entry is April 15, 2010, so don’t delay!

Recognizing the character and perseverance that so many young people show in the face of such adversity, the LIFE Foundation sponsors the LIFE Lessons Scholarship Program for college students and college-bound high school seniors. Qualified entrants who submit essays or videos about how the death of a parent or guardian impacted their lives are eligible for a Grant Prize of $10,000 in scholarship money.  The Grand Prize winner will be chosen from the pool of First Runners-Up from the essay and video categories.  Total of all scholarships is $80,000, and allocated in the following amounts:

Grand Prize Scholarship Winner:
Video or Essay (1): $10,000

Essay Scholarships:
First Runners-Up (4): $5,000
Second Runners-Up (40): $1,000

Video Scholarships:
First Runners-Up (1): $5,000
Second Runners-Up (5): $1,000

Why LIFE Lessons?

Paying for college is a major financial challenge for most American families, but it becomes infinitely more difficult when a parent dies at an early age. Typically, parents can be counted on to provide at least some financial support for college. But when they’re gone and can no longer lend a financial hand, college often seems out of reach for many young people. LIFE takes great pride in being able to help deserving young people realize their dream of achieving a college education.

LIFE Lessons also provides the LIFE Foundation with the opportunity to help all parents understand the important role that life insurance plays within a sound college-funding plan. Parents’ dreams of a college education for their children don’t need to die when they do. If parents account for college funding in their life insurance planning, they can take comfort in knowing that their children will have the chance to pursue a higher education and realize their full potential.

Note to Students

LIFE awards LIFE Lessons Scholarships once a year. This year, we will start to accept applications on March 15th, 2010.  The deadline to submit is on April 15th, 2010.  The scholarship recipients will be notified around July 15th, 2010.

Entering is easy. First, read the rules to make sure you qualify. Then, either enter online , or call (202) 464-5000 x4446 to request a paper entry form. In addition to some basic information, you’ll need to submit a brief essay (500 words max) or video (3 minutes max) discussing how the death of your parent or guardian affected your life financially and emotionally. Be sure to describe how the loss of your parent/guardian impacted your college plans (e.g., your ability to afford college, attend the college of your choice, etc). Explain how the lack of adequate life insurance coverage (or no coverage at all) impacted your family’s financial situation. Comment specifically on how things might have turned out differently for you and your family if the person who died had adequate life insurance coverage. Also indicate what you have done to provide for yourself and/or other family members because of financial challenges your family has faced.

If you have any questions, please email scholarship@lifehappens.org, or call (202) 464-5000 x4446.

Donate to the LIFE Lessons Scholarship Fund

LIFE accepts individual contributions from those wishing to support this important initiative. Your financial support can make a world of difference for a young person struggling to afford a college education due to the loss of a parent or guardian. Donations to the LIFE Lessons Scholarship Fund are tax-deductible. Click here to donate.