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After 21 years of marriage， I discovered a new way of keeping alive the spark[火花] of love.
A little while ago I had started to go out with another woman. It was really my wife’s idea.
“I know that you love her，” she said one day， taking me by surprise.
The other woman that my wife wanted me to visit was my mother. She had been a widow[寡妇] for 19 years， but the demands of my work and my three children had made it possible to visit her only occasionally[偶尔].
结婚21年后，我发现了一种保持爱火永不熄灭的新方法。
不久前，我开始与另一个女人出去约会。其实这还是我妻子的主意。
有一天她对我说：“我知道你爱她，”吓了我一跳。
妻子鼓励我去约会的“另一个女人”就是我的母亲。她已守寡19年，但由于我的工作需要，还有三个孩子需要我照顾，使得我只能偶尔去看望她一下。
That night I called to invite her to go out for dinner and a movie.
“What’s wrong， are you well？” she asked. My mother is the type of woman who suspects[怀疑] that a late night call or a surprise invitation is a sign of bad news.
“I thought that it would be pleasant to pass some time with you，” I responded， “just the two of us.”
She thought about it for a moment then said， “I would like that very much.”
That Friday after work as I drove over to pick her up I was a bit nervous. When I arrived at her house， I noticed that she， too， seemed to be nervous about our date. She waited in the door with her coat on. She had curled[使卷曲] her hair and was wearing the dress that she had worn to celebrate her last wedding anniversary[周年纪念日]. She smiled from a face that was as radiant[容光焕发的] as an angel’s.
“I told my friends that I was going to go out with my son， and they were impressed[受感动的]，” she said， as she got into the car. “They can’t wait to hear about our meeting.”
We went to a restaurant that， although not elegant[优雅的，一流的]， was very nice and cozy[温馨的]. My mother took my arm as if she were the First Lady. After we sat down， I had to read the menu. Her eyes could only read large print. Half way through the entrée[主菜]， I lifted my eyes and saw Mom sitting there staring at me. A nostalgic[怀旧的] smile was on her lips.
“It was I who used to have to read the menu when you were small，” she said.
那天晚上，我打电话约她出来吃饭、看电影。
“怎么了？你还好吧？”她问。我的母亲就是这样的女人，她觉得，任何一个深夜来电或意外邀约都是坏消息的征兆。
“我想与您共度一段美好时光，”我解释道，“就咱俩。”
她想了想，说：“好啊！我很乐意。”
周五下班后，我开车去接她，路上我感到有些紧张。到达母亲住所时，我注意到，她似乎也对我们的约会感到紧张。她已经穿好外套等在门口了。她烫了头发，还穿上了最后一次庆祝结婚纪念日时的礼服。她笑容满面，容光焕发，宛若天使。
“我对朋友们说，我要和儿子出去约会，他们都很感动，”她一边说着，一边上了我的车。“他们迫不及待地想了解我们约会的情况。” 我们去了一家虽不是一流却很温馨舒适的饭店。母亲挽着我的手臂，俨然第一夫人。入座后，我不得不为她读出菜单上的名目。因为母亲视力不好，只能看清大号印刷字。主菜点到一半时，我抬眼瞥见母亲正目不转睛地盯着我，嘴角挂着一抹怀念的笑容。
“在你还小的时候，都是我为你念菜单的，”她说。
“Then it’s time that you relax and let me return the favor[恩惠]，” I responded.
During the dinner we had an agreeable[令人愉快的] conversation， nothing extraordinary[非凡的]， but catching up on recent events of each other’s lives. We talked so much that we missed the movie.
As we arrived at her house later she said， “I’ll go out with you again， but only if you let me invite you.” I agreed.
“How was your dinner date？” my wife asked when I got home.
“Very nice. Much more so than I could have imagined，” I answered.
A few days later my mother died of a massive heart attack[心肌梗塞]. It happened so suddenly that I didn’t have a chance to do anything for her.
Some time later I received an envelope with a copy of a restaurant receipt[收据] from the same place mother and I had dined.
An attached[附加的] note said： “I paid this bill in advance[提前]. I was almost sure that I couldn’t be there， but nevertheless I paid for two plates[餐位]—one for you and the other for your wife. You will never know what that night meant for me. I love you.”
At that moment I understood the importance of saying “I LOVE YOU” in time and giving our loved ones the time that they deserve[应得]...
Yesterday is a canceled check.
Tomorrow is a promissory note[本票，期票].
Today is cash … Spend it wisely.
“那么现在就是您休息的时候了，让我为您效劳，”我回答道。
用餐期间，我们相谈甚欢，也没说什么了不得的事，只是聊些平时没空交流的生活近况。我们兴致甚高，滔滔不绝，以致于错过了电影。
后来，当我送她到家时，她说：“我会再和你出去的，但必须是我请你。”我同意了。
“晚餐约会进行得怎么样啊？”一到家，妻子就问我。
“非常棒，大大超乎我的想象，”我答道。
几天后，母亲由于心肌梗塞过世了。由于太过突然，我都没来得及为她做任何事。
过了一段时间，我收到一封信，信封里有一张餐馆收据的复印件，是上次我和母亲用餐的那家餐馆寄来的。
里面附有一张纸条，上面写着：“我已预先付好账，我几乎可以确定，我不能赴约了。不过，我还是付了两个餐位的费用——为你和你的妻子。你永远不会知道那晚对我有多重要。我爱你！”
在那一刻，我终于明白及时说出“我爱你”以及花时间与那些我们深爱的人相处有多么重要，这是他们应得的……
昨天是支票，已经付讫。
明天是本票，尚未到期。
今天是现金……用心去花。
A little while ago I had started to go out with another woman. It was really my wife’s idea.
“I know that you love her，” she said one day， taking me by surprise.
The other woman that my wife wanted me to visit was my mother. She had been a widow[寡妇] for 19 years， but the demands of my work and my three children had made it possible to visit her only occasionally[偶尔].
结婚21年后，我发现了一种保持爱火永不熄灭的新方法。
不久前，我开始与另一个女人出去约会。其实这还是我妻子的主意。
有一天她对我说：“我知道你爱她，”吓了我一跳。
妻子鼓励我去约会的“另一个女人”就是我的母亲。她已守寡19年，但由于我的工作需要，还有三个孩子需要我照顾，使得我只能偶尔去看望她一下。
That night I called to invite her to go out for dinner and a movie.
“What’s wrong， are you well？” she asked. My mother is the type of woman who suspects[怀疑] that a late night call or a surprise invitation is a sign of bad news.
“I thought that it would be pleasant to pass some time with you，” I responded， “just the two of us.”
She thought about it for a moment then said， “I would like that very much.”
That Friday after work as I drove over to pick her up I was a bit nervous. When I arrived at her house， I noticed that she， too， seemed to be nervous about our date. She waited in the door with her coat on. She had curled[使卷曲] her hair and was wearing the dress that she had worn to celebrate her last wedding anniversary[周年纪念日]. She smiled from a face that was as radiant[容光焕发的] as an angel’s.
“I told my friends that I was going to go out with my son， and they were impressed[受感动的]，” she said， as she got into the car. “They can’t wait to hear about our meeting.”
We went to a restaurant that， although not elegant[优雅的，一流的]， was very nice and cozy[温馨的]. My mother took my arm as if she were the First Lady. After we sat down， I had to read the menu. Her eyes could only read large print. Half way through the entrée[主菜]， I lifted my eyes and saw Mom sitting there staring at me. A nostalgic[怀旧的] smile was on her lips.
“It was I who used to have to read the menu when you were small，” she said.
那天晚上，我打电话约她出来吃饭、看电影。
“怎么了？你还好吧？”她问。我的母亲就是这样的女人，她觉得，任何一个深夜来电或意外邀约都是坏消息的征兆。
“我想与您共度一段美好时光，”我解释道，“就咱俩。”
她想了想，说：“好啊！我很乐意。”
周五下班后，我开车去接她，路上我感到有些紧张。到达母亲住所时，我注意到，她似乎也对我们的约会感到紧张。她已经穿好外套等在门口了。她烫了头发，还穿上了最后一次庆祝结婚纪念日时的礼服。她笑容满面，容光焕发，宛若天使。
“我对朋友们说，我要和儿子出去约会，他们都很感动，”她一边说着，一边上了我的车。“他们迫不及待地想了解我们约会的情况。” 我们去了一家虽不是一流却很温馨舒适的饭店。母亲挽着我的手臂，俨然第一夫人。入座后，我不得不为她读出菜单上的名目。因为母亲视力不好，只能看清大号印刷字。主菜点到一半时，我抬眼瞥见母亲正目不转睛地盯着我，嘴角挂着一抹怀念的笑容。
“在你还小的时候，都是我为你念菜单的，”她说。
“Then it’s time that you relax and let me return the favor[恩惠]，” I responded.
During the dinner we had an agreeable[令人愉快的] conversation， nothing extraordinary[非凡的]， but catching up on recent events of each other’s lives. We talked so much that we missed the movie.
As we arrived at her house later she said， “I’ll go out with you again， but only if you let me invite you.” I agreed.
“How was your dinner date？” my wife asked when I got home.
“Very nice. Much more so than I could have imagined，” I answered.
A few days later my mother died of a massive heart attack[心肌梗塞]. It happened so suddenly that I didn’t have a chance to do anything for her.
Some time later I received an envelope with a copy of a restaurant receipt[收据] from the same place mother and I had dined.
An attached[附加的] note said： “I paid this bill in advance[提前]. I was almost sure that I couldn’t be there， but nevertheless I paid for two plates[餐位]—one for you and the other for your wife. You will never know what that night meant for me. I love you.”
At that moment I understood the importance of saying “I LOVE YOU” in time and giving our loved ones the time that they deserve[应得]...
Yesterday is a canceled check.
Tomorrow is a promissory note[本票，期票].
Today is cash … Spend it wisely.
“那么现在就是您休息的时候了，让我为您效劳，”我回答道。
用餐期间，我们相谈甚欢，也没说什么了不得的事，只是聊些平时没空交流的生活近况。我们兴致甚高，滔滔不绝，以致于错过了电影。
后来，当我送她到家时，她说：“我会再和你出去的，但必须是我请你。”我同意了。
“晚餐约会进行得怎么样啊？”一到家，妻子就问我。
“非常棒，大大超乎我的想象，”我答道。
几天后，母亲由于心肌梗塞过世了。由于太过突然，我都没来得及为她做任何事。
过了一段时间，我收到一封信，信封里有一张餐馆收据的复印件，是上次我和母亲用餐的那家餐馆寄来的。
里面附有一张纸条，上面写着：“我已预先付好账，我几乎可以确定，我不能赴约了。不过，我还是付了两个餐位的费用——为你和你的妻子。你永远不会知道那晚对我有多重要。我爱你！”
在那一刻，我终于明白及时说出“我爱你”以及花时间与那些我们深爱的人相处有多么重要，这是他们应得的……
昨天是支票，已经付讫。
明天是本票，尚未到期。
今天是现金……用心去花。