第11部分(第3/5 頁)

ough　to　see　my　child　able　to　get　on　without　me。

My　only　child　has　just　started　boarding…school。　The　house　is　painfully　empty。　It　was　the　boy　himself　who　wanted　to　go；　backed　up　by　his　father。

I　resisted；　with　rational　arguments　and　less　rational　emotions。　In　the　end　I　confronted　my　husband　and　asked　him　why　he　wanted　to　send　our　son　away　to　school。　“Because　I　believe　it　would　do　him　good；”was　his　straight　answer。

In　the　sleepless　night　that　followed；　I　had　to　admit　that　he　was　right。　By　daybreak　I　had　accepted　that；　whatever　my　own　feelings；　I　had　no　right　to　hold　up　a　process　that　would　assist　my　child　in　his　social　and　academic　development。

And　I　remembered　the　lines　my　mother　wrote　in　a　notebook　the　day　I　left　home　to　study　in　a　foreign　country：

When　you　were　born；

I　said　to　myself；

I　shall　never　again　be　alone。

Little　did　I　realise

that　the　infant　I　cradled　in　my　arms

was　given　to　me　on　loan；

to　care　for　and　prepare

for　the　day　when　I　would　hand　her　over；

to　another　life

that　I　can　share

Motherhood　母性（3）

only　from　a　distance。

‘Something　only　a　mother　could　love。’　The　phrase　conjures　up　images　of　baby　orang…utans；　teenage　hoodlums；　repugnant　monsters。

It　does　suggest　that　a　mother’s　love　is　blind；　oblivious　to　chara…cter　disorders；　to　ugliness　and　failings；　when　in　reality　it　is　the　other　way　round：　maternal　love　is　extraordinarily　perceptive。

When　a　mother　looks　upon　her　children；　she　sees　not　only　what　they　are；　but　also　what　they　may　bee。　In　her　eyes；　potential　exceeds　limitations。

She　is　aware　of　the　best　in　each　one　even　when　it’s　not　apparent。　Her　interpretations　are　kind；　generous　to　a　fault；　always　giving　the　benefit　of　t