My mother used to ask me what is the most important part of the body. Through the years I would guess at what I thought was the correct answer.
从前我母亲经常问我，身体最重要的部位是什么。许多年来，我一直以为自己所想的是正确答案。
When I was younger, I thought sound was very important to us as humans, so I said, "My ears, Mommy."
当我很小的时候，我认为对人类而言，声音很重要，因此回答：“妈咪，是耳朵。”
She said, "No. Many people are deaf. But you keep thinking about it and I will ask you again soon."
她说：“不对，有许多人是聋人。但是你继续想，不久我会再问你。”
Several years passed before she asked me again. Since making my first attempt, I had contemplated the correct answer. So this time I told her, "Mommy, sight is very important to everybody, so it must be our eyes."
She looked at me and told me, "You are learning fast, but the answer is not correct because there are many people who are blind."
她看着我，对我说：“你学的很快，但还是不对，因为有许多人是盲人。”
Over the years, Mother asked me a couple more times and always her answer was, "No, but you are getting smarter every year, my child."
往后的年日里她又问了我几次，但她总是回答：“不对，可是孩子啊，你每年都有进步喔。”
Then last year, my Grandpa died. Everybody was hurt. Everybody was crying. My Mom looked at me when it was our turn to say our final good-bye to Grandpa. She asked me, "Do you know the most important body part yet, my dear?"
I was shocked when she asked me this now. I always thought this was a game between her and me. She saw the confusion on my face and told me, "This question is very important. It shows that you have really lived your life." I saw her eyes well up with tears. She said, "My dear, the most important body part is your shoulder."
She replied, "No, it is because it can hold the head of a friend or loved one when they cry. Everybody needs a shoulder to cry on sometime in life, my dear. I only hope that you have enough love and friends that you will have a shoulder to cry on when you need it."
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