During the next few days，the bees were busy mading their own business.Grandma could always see a few bees buzzing in and out around the opening high in the tree.Before long，she decided the bees won’t bothering anyone，so she went about her business and didn’t give them any other thought.
That summer，Grandma’s little garden grew and grew.The neighbors would stop to admire the huge crop of vegetables and puzzle over their own gardens weren’t doing well.No matter，because Grandma had enough give some away.Of course，everyone who came to visit was treated to a meal of good things from the garden.
One day，Grandma’s brother Frank visited from Arizona.As Grandma made Frank a delicious lunch of squash pan cakes and homemade apple sauce，she told him the story about the swam of bees.
Frank said，“In Arizona，the famers often hired beekeepers to set up beehives near their fields.The bees pollinated the crops and helped them to grow.”
That was when Grandma realized that her bees had helped with her garden all summer...
“So that’s why my little garden had such a big crop！”she exclaimed.
From that time on，Grandma always believed that since Grandpa couldn’t be there to help her that summer，he had sent the bees to take his place and make Grandma’s little garden grow and grow...
祖父的蜜蜂
早在我出生以前，奶奶和爷爷搬到碧奇乌大道住。他们膝下养有四个小女儿。女孩们睡在阁楼的一张大羽毛床上。那里冬夜酷寒。奶奶得在床脚下垫热砖给女儿们取暖。大萧条时期，工作很难找，爷爷什么苦工都做。在周日他挖沟渠，周末和奶奶在花园里挖挖锄锄，种点自己的粮食。
碧奇乌大道的房子有个大前院，院子里种着浓阴遮蔽的大树和果树。院中央的是个水泵，小女孩们就在这里泵水用来做饭、打扫卫生、灌溉花园。奶奶和爷爷在院子的一边种上番茄、豆子、南瓜、黄瓜、辣椒和草莓，供应这个大家庭的吃用。在另一边，他们围着圣母的雕像种了玫瑰、天笠葵、丁香和蝴蝶花。
人人都辛勤地耕种花园，使它日渐丰实。整个夏天，我们一家人吃着花园种出的食物，欣赏着花园里的美丽花朵。奶奶还把做好的草莓酱、番茄、豆子、辣椒、梨子和桃子装进罐子里，使它们的美味能保持整个漫长的冬天。
多年过去，孩子们长大，孙子孙女们也来到了世上。
奶奶和爷爷仍然每年春天都耕种花园。人人都能分享花园种出的好东西，也总能带上一些回家里。
孙子孙女们长大了，爷爷、奶奶年迈古稀。维护花园花去他们更多的精力，所以他们缩小了些花园的面积。但里面种出来的食物还足够吃，花朵也还招人喜爱。
等到爷爷八十九岁的那个夏天，他只能坐在草地的椅子上，看蔬菜长大，玫瑰开花。夏日渐渐消逝，爷爷在丰收前就去世了。对奶奶来说，这是个寂寞的冬天。她坐在窗边，望着外边的院子，考虑着来年春天还要不要耕种花园。只靠她自己来打理太难了些。
当春天来到时，她只稍微种了一点。
初夏的一天，阳光灿烂，奶奶听到前院传来一阵骚动声，她看出窗外，看到可怕的一幕。两棵大树上满满缀着大团大团的蜜蜂。空中还飞舞着成千上万只，多不胜数的蜂群一直排到树梢上！嗡嗡声不绝于耳。奶奶看见这些蜜蜂先后钻进一棵树上高高的树洞中。很快，所有的蜜蜂都搬进新家，消失了。
奶奶不禁发愁起来。她是否该请人清走这些蜜蜂呢？但是她根本支付不起费用。于是她决定等一等，再想想办法。
随后几天，蜜蜂忙碌个不停。奶奶总能看到有一些蜂儿从高高的树洞里嗡嗡地飞进飞出。不久，她看出蜜蜂并无妨碍，于是自顾自地干活，不再理会它们。
那年夏天，奶奶的小花园硕果累累。邻居们都驻足羡慕里面生长丰盛的蔬菜，纳闷怎么自己花园的长势就没有这么喜人。没关系，因为奶奶有好多可以送人。登门来访的人当然都有花园里的美味来招待。
一天，奶奶的弟弟法兰克从亚利桑那州前来拜访。奶奶给他做了一顿香喷喷的午饭，有南瓜饼，有自制的苹果酱，她还把蜜蜂的故事告诉了法兰克。
法兰克说：“在亚利桑那，农夫们常常雇请养蜂人在农田附近搭蜂箱。蜜蜂授粉有助于庄稼成长。”
奶奶才意识到，原来是这些蜜蜂在夏季助成了花园的丰收。
“所以我的小花园才有了大丰收！”她大声地说道。
从那时开始，奶奶便相信是因为爷爷那年夏天没能亲自帮她，才派了蜜蜂到这里，让奶奶的小花园欣欣向荣。
A Unique Job
A fathers job is unique.
If parents had job deions mine would read：organize bills，playmates，laundry，meals，laundry，carpool，laundry，snacks，outings and shopping，and laundry.
The only thing on my husband’s deion would be the word “fun”written in big red letters along the top.Although he is a selfless caregiver and provider，our children think of him more as a combination of a jungle gym and bozo and clown.
Our parenting styles compliment each other.His style is a nonstop adventure where no one has to worry about washing their hands，eating vegetables，or getting cavities.My style is similar to Mussolini.I’m too busy worrying to be fun.Besides，every time I try，I am constantly outdone by my husband.
I bought my children bubble gum flavored toothpaste and I taught them how to brush their teeth in tiny circles so they wouldn’t get cavities.They thought it was neat until my husband taught them how to rinse by spitting out water between their two front teeth like a fountain.
I took the children on a walk in the woods and，after two hours，I managed to corral a slow ladybug into my son’s insect cage.I was “cool”until their father came home，spent two minutes in the backyard，and captured a beetle the size of a Chihuahua.
I try to tell myself I am a good parent even if my husband does things I can’t do.I can make sure my children are safe，warm，and dry.I’ll stand in line for five hours so the children can see Santa at the mall—or be first in line to see the latest Disney movie.But I can’t wire the VCR so my children can watch their favorite video.
I can carry my children in my arms when they are tired，tuck them into bed，and kiss them goodnight.But I can’t flip them upside down so they can walk on the ceiling or prop them on my shoulders so they can see the moths flying inside of the light fixture.
I can take them to doctor appointments，scout meetings，or field trips to the aquarium，but I’ll never go into the wilderness，skewer a worm on a hook，reel in a fish，and cook it over an open flame on a piece of tin foil.
I’ll even sit in the first row of every Little League game and cheer until my throat is sore and my tonsils are raw，but I’ll never teach my son how to hit a home run or slide into first base.
As a mother I can do a lot of things for my children，but no matter how hard I try—I can never be their father.
一份独特的工作
当爸是件无人能替代的活儿。
如果为人父母有职务简述的话，我的“职务简述”将会包括如下内容：管理账单和孩子们的玩耍同伴、洗衣、做饭、洗衣、安排与人合伙用车、洗衣、准备小吃、安排短途旅游、购物、洗衣。
我先生的“职务简述”是在上端用红色写出的两个大字——“乐子”。尽管他无私地给予孩子们百般关爱，尽其所能为他们提供所需，我们的孩子们更多的时候还是把他看作攀缘游戏架、大傻瓜和小丑的三合一。
我们俩为人父母的风格是互补的。他的风格是持续不断的探险，在这过程中，没有人需要操心孩子是不是洗手了，是不是吃蔬菜了，或者会不会长蛀牙。我的风格则类似墨索里尼的执政风格。我太忙了，为这操心，为那操心，哪里顾得上找什么乐子。再者，每次我试图逗孩子们开心，我总是被我先生比下去。
我给孩子们买来带泡泡糖香味的牙膏，教他们如何用牙刷转圈儿刷牙以免得蛀牙。他们认为那样刷挺好玩，直到有一天我先生教他们如何漱口——从两颗门牙间把水喷出来。他们发现这才叫好玩。
我带孩子们到小树林里去散步，两个小时后，我好不容易才逮住一个迟钝的瓢虫放进我儿子的虫笼里。在他们眼里我是够“酷”的，直到他们的父亲回家，在后院里只花了两分钟，便捕获了一只有奇瓦瓦小狗那么大的甲虫！
我劝慰自己我是个好妈妈，尽管我先生能做的事情我做不了。我可以确保我的孩子们是安全的、暖和的、干干爽爽的。我可以排队等5个小时，让孩子们在大商场里看到圣诞老人——或者第一个排队让孩子们看最新的迪斯尼影片。但是我不会给录像机接上电线，好让孩子们看他们喜欢的录像。
当孩子玩累时，我可以把他们抱到床上，亲吻他们，送他们进入梦乡。但是我无法让他们头冲下，那样他们可以脚踏天花板漫步；或者把他们扛在我的肩膀上，让他们看飞蛾如何在灯具里飞舞。
我可以带他们去看医生，参加童子军集会，或者带他们去参观水族馆，但是我永远也不会进入荒郊野地，在鱼钩上挂上虫饵，钓上一条鱼，然后把鱼用锡纸包起来在明火上烤着吃。
我甚至可以出席每一场少年棒球联合会的比赛，坐在第一排呐喊助威，直到我的嗓子喊疼了，我的扁桃体发炎了，但是我永远无法教我的儿子如何打一个本垒打或者如何巧妙进入一垒的位置。
作为一个母亲，我可以为我的孩子们做许多事情，但是不管我怎样努力——我永远成为不了他们的父亲。
