第一章 有一种爱叫放手（13）（2/2）
《世界上最温情的故事》作者：吴文智 2017-04-14 12:57
s. She bolstered our confidence, praising even our most ordinary accomplishments. When I was ten, I painted a stack of wooden crates white and nailed them together to make a wobbly bookcase.“It’s wonderful!” Mama exclaimed.“Just what we need.” She used it for many years.
In the dining room are two paint-by-number pictures that my sister Gloria and brother Leo did as kids. Several years ago, Leo commented that the pictures weren’t very good and offered to take them down. But Mama wouldn’t hear of it. “They are there to remind you how much you could accomplish even as children.” she said.
From the very beginning, she urged us to think big. One day, after visiting our grandparents on the South Side, she made Dad detour past the Prudential Building construction site. Mama explained that when finished, the 41-story building would be Chicago’s tallest. “Maybe someday one of you can design a building like this.” she said.
Her confidence in us was infectious. When my sister Carla was 12, she announced she was going to be a lawyer.
“You can do that.” Mama said. “You can do anything you put your mind to.”
Tour Guide. To Mama, education was a key part of her blueprint for success. Four of us went to a nearby, one-room school-house. My mother made up for its shortcomings by getting us educational toys, talking to us about history, politics and current events, and helping with home-work. The best part of getting a good report card was her unstinting praise.
In the dining room are two paint-by-number pictures that my sister Gloria and brother Leo did as kids. Several years ago, Leo commented that the pictures weren’t very good and offered to take them down. But Mama wouldn’t hear of it. “They are there to remind you how much you could accomplish even as children.” she said.
From the very beginning, she urged us to think big. One day, after visiting our grandparents on the South Side, she made Dad detour past the Prudential Building construction site. Mama explained that when finished, the 41-story building would be Chicago’s tallest. “Maybe someday one of you can design a building like this.” she said.
Her confidence in us was infectious. When my sister Carla was 12, she announced she was going to be a lawyer.
“You can do that.” Mama said. “You can do anything you put your mind to.”
Tour Guide. To Mama, education was a key part of her blueprint for success. Four of us went to a nearby, one-room school-house. My mother made up for its shortcomings by getting us educational toys, talking to us about history, politics and current events, and helping with home-work. The best part of getting a good report card was her unstinting praise.