“When I was a boy of 14,my father was so ignorant (无知的) that I could hardly stand to have the old man around. But when I got to be 21, I was astonished at how much the old man had learned in 7 years. “—Mark Twain

My 23-year-old daughter and I are the female version of the above quote. When I left her father about 12 years ago she chose to stay with him. Her father was quite angry at our breakup and so was my daughter. She exactly had nothing to do with me for about 5 years, no contact, no presents to me, no overnight stays. It broke my heart.

Now she works near my home. She has often slept on the sofa in my home and I so love this.

Last week I turned my study into a bedroom for her. Today a new bed and mattress(床垫) arrived and I went to Belfast to buy quilts, pillows, cushions, curtains, lampshade etc to make this into the room my daughter should have had in my home 12 years ago. She has really loved being able to input into this room for her and I have really loved creating a little special personal space for her in my home.

In the end, l worked it out but I can tell you I really learned so much by way of practicing patience in those painful early days.

I hope my little daughter who is now a young 23-year-old woman never distances herself from me again, no child should be without a Mother’s love.

In 1943, when I was 4, my parents moved from Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, to Fairbanks, Alaska, where adventure was never very far away.

We arrived in the summer, just in time to enjoy the midnight sun. All that sunlight was fantastic for Mom’s vegetable garden. Working in the garden at midnight tended to throw her timing off, so she didn’t care much about my bedtime.

Dad was a Railway Express agent and Mom was his clerk. That left me in a mess. I usually managed to find some trouble to get into. Once I had a little fire going in the dirt basement of a hotel. I had tried to light a barrel(桶) of paint but couldn’t really get a good fire going. The smoke got pretty bad, though, and when 1 made my exit, a crowd and the police were there to greet me. The policemen took my matches and drove me home.

Mom and Dad were occupied in the garden and Dad told the police to keep me, and they did! I had a tour of the prison before Mom rescued me. I hadn’t turned 5 yet.

As I entered kindergarten, the serious cold began to set in. Would it surprise you to know that I soon left part of my tongue on a metal handrail at school?

As for Leonhard Seppala, famous as a dog sledder, I think I knew him well because I was taken for a ride with his white dog team one Sunday. At the time I didn’t realize what a superstar he was, but I do remember the ride well. I was wrapped (包裹) heavily and well sheltered from the freezing and blowing weather.

In 1950, we moved back to Coeur d’Alene, but we got one more Alaskan adventure when Leonhard invited us eight years later by paying a visit to Idaho to attend a gathering of former neighbors of Alaska.

How to Bring Family Closer

Strong family bonds (纽带) can encourage better behaviors in children and teach them how to be a good friend.【小题1】

Set aside time for family.【小题2】By keeping this day on a regular schedule, everyone will know that they need to keep that day clear for family time. Then the entire family can get together for a fun activity.

Eat meals together. Choose a few nights during the week when you expect everyone to gather around the dinner table. Studies have shown that eating meals together has a positive effect on children’s physical and mental well-being.【小题3】Don’t allow phones. What’s the most important is that you come together and enjoy a meal free of distraction (分心).

【小题4】Make cleaning your home a responsibility for the whole family. Create a list of housework and have everyone sign up. Then set up a time during the week or on the weekend when everyone can do their housework together.

Encourage support. Feeling supported by your family is one of the most important things in building strong family bonds. Bonds like these will last your kids a lifetime. They will enjoy these strong bonds when they are your age and even after you are gone.【小题5】