Soon Tommy’s parents, who had recently separated, would arrive for a conference on his failing schoolwork and bad behavior. Neither parent knew that I had called the other. Tommy, an only child, had always been happy, cooperative and an excellent student. How could I convince his father and mother that his recent failing grades represented a broken-hearted child’s reaction to his parents’ separation and pending (即将发生的) divorce? Tommy’s mother entered and took one of the chairs. Soon the father arrived. Good! At least they were concerned enough to be here in time. They ignored each other. As I gave a detailed account of Tommy’s behavior and schoolwork, I prayed for the right words to bring these two together to help them see what they were doing to their son. But somehow the words wouldn’t come. Perhaps if they saw one of his dirty, carelessly done papers? I found a sheet in the back of his desk. Writing covered both sides: not the assignment, but a single sentence scribbled (潦草地写) over and over. Silently I gave it to Tommy’s mother. She read it and then handed it to her husband. Then his face softened. At last he folded the paper carefully, placed it in his pocket, and reached for his wife’s hand. She wiped the tears from her eyes and smiled up at him. He helped her with her coat and they left together. In his own way God had given me the words to reunite that family. He had guided me to the sheet of yellow copy paper covered with the pain out pouring of a small boy’s troubled heart. The words are “Dear Mom…Dear Daddy… I love you…” 小题1:The author called Tommy’s parents in order to ________.
|