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I pulled the pink envelope from our mailbox just as my daughter was coming home from school.It looked like a birthday party invitation."SARAH"was carefully printed in bold,black letters.When Sarah stepped off the bus I tucked the envelope into her hand."It's…it's…for me,"she stuttered,delighted.
In the unseasonably warm February sun we sat down on the front porch.As I helped her open the envelope,I wondered who had sent it.Maybe Emily or perhaps Michael,pals from her specialeducation class.
"It's…it's…from Maranda!"Sarah said,pointing to the front of the card.There,flamed with hearts,was a photo of a girl I hadnever seen before.She had beautiful long hair,a dimpled grin and warm smiling eyes."Maranda is eight years old,"the caption read."Come and celebrate on Valentine's Day."
Glancing at the picture,I felt uneasy.Clearly,Maranda was not handicapped.Sarah,on the other hand,had Down' s syndrome and was developmentally delayed in all areas.At age nine she still functioned on a preschool level.Her disability was obvious,marked withthick-lensed glasses,a hearing aid and stuttering.
A happy child,she had many friends who used wheelchairs and braces and walkers.But this was the first time she had been invited to the home of a nondisabled child."How did you meet Maranda?"I asked.
"At…at…school.We eat lunch together every…every day."
Even though Sarah Was in special education she socialized with other second graders during gym,lunch and homeroom.I had always hoped she would make friends outside her program.Why,then,did I feel uneasy?
Because I'm her mother,I thought.I loved Sarah.I wanted and prayed that she would have the best.I also knew a friendship with Sarah called for extra sensitivity,tolerance and understanding.Was the child in the photo capable of that?
Valentine's Day came.Sarah dressed in her favorite pink lace dress and white patent leather shoes.As we drove to Maranda's party she sat next to me in the front seat,clutching the Barbie doll she had wrapped with Winnie-the-Pooh paper and masking tape."I…I'm so excited,"she said.
I smiled,but deep inside I felt hesitant.There would be other children at the party.Would they tease Sarah?Would Maranda be embarrassed in front of her other friends?Please,Lord,I prayed,don't let Sarah get hurt.
I pulled into the driveway of a house decorated with silver heart-shaped balloons:Waiting at the front door was a little girl in a red sweater trimmed with ribboned hearts.It was Maranda."Sarah's here!"she called.Racing to our car,she welcomed my daughter with a wraparound hug.Soon seven giggling girls followed Maranda's lead,welcoming Sarah with smiles.
"Bye,Mom,"Sarah said,waving as she and the others ran laughing into the house.Maranda's mother,Mary,greeted me at my rolled-down car window.
"Thanks for bringing Sarah,"she said."Maranda is so excited Sarah could come to her party."Mary went on to explain that her daughter was an only child and that Maranda and Sarah had become special friends at school."Maranda talks about her all the time,"she said.
I drove away,amazed.Still,I couldn't get over my uneasiness.Could this friendship ever be equal?Maranda would need to learn the language of Sarah's speech.She would need patience when Sarah struggled with certain tasks.That was a lot to ask of an eight year old.
As the months passed I watched the girls' friendship grow.They spent many hours together in our home.Fixing dinner in the kitchen,I heard giggles fill the family room as they twirled around an old recliner or watched The Lion King.Other times they dressed up in my old hats and outdated blouses,pretending to be famous singers.Soon the months turned to years.
One afternoon in late autumn,1995,I watched the two of them sitting next to each other at our kitchen table.Sarah held a pencil;Maranda had a tablet of paper.
Maranda called out each letter as she guided Sarah's hand:"S-A-R-A-H."Though some of the letters had been printed backward or upsidedown,Maranda praised Sarah's effort."Great job,"she said,applauding.
At Christmastime the girls exchanged gifts.Sarah gave Maranda a photograph of herself,a framed first-communion picture."You look beautiful,"Maranda said as she admired Sarah's white ruffled dress and long lace veil.In return,Maranda gave Sarah a gray-flannel elephant trimmed with an"I love you"tag.It quickly became Sarah's favorite stuffed animal,and she slept with it every night.
A few weeks into the new year Sarah came home from school looking downcast."M-Maranda is…is sick,"she said.I thought maybe she had caught the bug circulating at school.Minutes later,however,Sarah's special-education teacher called.Maranda was in the hospital.She had sustained a seizure at school and had been diagnosed with a brain tumor.Surgeons had performed a risky operation,which had left Maranda paralyzed on one side with impaired speech and vision.The biopsy results weren't back yet.
"Can we visit her?"I asked.I knew Sarah would want to see her friend.
"Maranda is very despondent and not up to seeing anybody,"the teacher told me."Her parents are requesting cards rather than visits."
"We'll keep her in our prayers,"I promised.
That night Sarah knelt beside her bed,clutching her stuffed elephant."Please ma…ma…make Maranda better,"she prayed.Night after night she implored God to heal her friend.Then one night in early February Sarah stopped abruptly in the middle of her prayer.She nudged me.
"Let's ma…ma…make a valentine for Ma…Maranda."
The next day we sat together at the kitchen table as I helped Sarah write Maranda's name on a large sheet of pink-and-white construction paper.She decorated each letter with stickers and glittery Magic Markers.She drew a large heart around the name,then glued candy hearts with phrases like "friends forever"and"be mine".In similar fashion she added four more pages.Just before we slid the card into a large envelope,Sarah asked,"How…how…how do I spell love?"I called out the letters as she painstakingly printed"LOVE,"the letters crooked and out of place,followed by her name.
Two weeks passed.We heard that Maranda had additional surgery.On Valentine's Day I got a phone call from her mother."Maranda's home,"she said,"and wants to see Sarah.""Home?"I asked with surprise.
"Maranda's tumor was benign.We're hoping for a full recovery."
As we discussed Maranda's prognosis,she relayed how thankful she was for Sarah and her card."Maranda was very depressed.She had Stacks of letters,cards and gifts,but wouldn't open any of them.Then one morning Sarah's homemade card arrived.We opened it and Maranda burst into a huge smile.She hugged it and wouldn't put it down."Mary's voice was choked with emotion."It was an answer to prayer."
I realized then that Sarah and Maranda were the truest of friends.Their bond was defined not by intellect or health or handicap,but by love,unconditionally given and received.They had overcome disability with laughter and support.Their friendship had always been equal.
Today both girls are doing well.Maranda is almost 12 and Sarah is going on 13.With the help of intensive therapy Maranda's neurological functions returned to normal,and Sarah's speech has improved immensely.She can even read some.Though we've moved to a different neighborhood,the girls still keep in touch.Recently Maranda came to sleep over.
As the girls sat at our kitchen table they talked about Maranda's newly pierced ears and Sarah's"secret"boyfriend from her specialed class.Then in the middle of their conversation Sarah opened a kitchen drawer and pulled out a tablet and pencil.
"S-A-R-A-H,"Maranda called out,just like old times.As Sarah printed her name without any help,Maranda looked on and clapped."Great job,Sarah!"she said.I took a peek at my daughter's masterpiece.Her name had been written perfectly.
当我将一个粉红色的信封从邮箱取出时，我女儿正好从学校回来。那信封看起来像是一张生日聚会的请柬，用黑色粗体字母整齐地写着“萨拉”的名字。萨拉一下校车，我便将信封塞到她手里。她很高兴，结结巴巴地说：“这……这是……给我的吗？”
那是一个二月天，天气异常温暖，我们坐在前廊里晒太阳。当我帮她把信封打开时，心里琢磨着是谁寄来的；有可能是艾米莉，也有可能是迈克尔，他们都是萨拉特殊教育班里的伙伴。
萨拉指着卡片正面说：“这……这是……麦兰达寄来的。”卡片上以心形图案为背景，贴了一张我从未见过一个小女孩的照片。她留着漂亮的长发，微笑着露出酒窝，一双眼睛也显示着热情的笑意。卡片上写着：“麦兰达8岁了。请于情人节来庆祝。”
瞧了一眼那照片，我深感不安，因为麦兰达显然没有任何缺陷，而萨拉却患唐氏综合症，各方面发育迟缓，已经9岁了，却只达到学龄前的水平。她有明显的残疾，戴着镜片厚重的眼镜和助听器，而且口吃。
萨拉是个待人友好的孩子，她有许多用轮椅、梏具或助步器的朋友。但被邀请到一个没有残疾的孩子家里去，对她来说还是第一次。我问她：“你是怎样遇见麦兰达的？”
“是在……在学校。我们每……每天一起吃午饭。”
虽然萨拉是在特殊教育班里学习，但是当她在健身房锻炼，吃午饭或去年级集会室时，她会和其他二年级的孩子们有所交往。我一向盼望她能在自己的课程之外交些朋友。既然如此，我为什么会感到不安呢？
我想因为我是她母亲，我爱萨拉。我盼望和祈求她能具有一切最美好的东西。我还知道与萨拉建立友谊的人需要特别敏感，有超常的耐心和理解力。照片里的那孩子能做得到吗？
情人节到了，萨拉穿上她最喜欢的带有花边的粉红色连衣裙和新颖别致的皮鞋。当我们驱车去参加麦兰达的聚会时，她紧挨我坐在前排位子上。她手里紧紧地握住用小熊维尼包装纸和胶带包裹起来的芭比娃娃。她说：“我……我是多……多么激动呵！”
我微笑着，但在我内心深处却感到迟疑不决。聚会中还会有其他的孩子们，他们会不会取笑萨拉？在其他朋友面前，麦兰达会不会不好意思？我祈祷说：“我主，请您不要让萨拉受到伤害！”
我将车子开到一栋饰有银色心形汽球的房子的车行道上。有一个小女孩在前门等待着。她穿着一件饰有心形缎带花边的红色套衫。她就是麦兰达。她喊着：“萨拉来了！”她跑向我们的汽车，紧紧拥抱我女儿以表示欢迎。还有七个格格笑着的女孩子都随着麦兰达用微笑迎接萨拉。
当萨拉和其他女孩们笑着跑进屋子里去的时候，她向我挥着手说：“妈妈，再见。”麦兰达的妈妈玛丽在我摇下的车窗前向我打招呼。
她说：“谢谢你把萨拉送来。麦兰达为萨拉能参加她的聚会而兴奋。”她接着告诉我她女儿是家中的独女。她又说麦兰达和萨拉在学校里成为了特别要好的朋友，麦兰达无时不在谈论萨拉。
我怀着惊讶的心情一路开车回家，但我仍然摆脱不了心中的不安。心想这友谊会般配吗？为了和萨拉交朋友，麦兰达还得学会萨拉说话惯用的语言；当萨拉为学好功课而使劲努力时，她必须具有耐心；这一切对于一个只有8岁的孩子来说是要求过多了。
时间一个月一个月地过去，我眼见两个女孩之间的友谊不断增长着。她俩在我家一起度过许多时光。当我在厨房准备晚饭时，她们围着那张破旧的躺椅转悠着，或是看“狮子王”。我听见她们格格的笑声充满我家的房间。还有些时候，她们戴上我的旧帽子，穿上我过时的衣裳来假扮有名的歌手。很快，几个月就延伸为几年时光。
1995年深秋的一个下午，我看见这两个孩子在厨房的桌子边紧挨着坐在一起。萨拉拿着一支铅笔，麦兰达拿着一本拍纸薄。
麦兰达一边扶着萨拉的手写“S-A-R-A-H”，一边大声地朗读着每一个字母。虽然有的字母写得太靠后了，或是上下颠倒了，麦兰达仍然赞扬萨拉的努力；她拍着手说：“干得很棒！”
圣涎节时两个女孩交换礼物。萨拉送给麦兰达一张带有相框的照片；那是她首次领圣餐时拍的。麦兰达很欣赏萨拉穿的打褶的白色连衣裙和她披着的带有花边的长纱，她对萨拉说：“你看起来多美呵！”麦兰达给萨拉的礼物是灰色法兰绒的小象，它带有一个标签，上面写着“我爱你”。它很快便成为萨拉所最喜欢的动物玩具，她每晚都要抱着它睡觉。
新年刚开始几个星期，有一天萨拉放学回家时情绪低沉。她说：“麦……麦兰达病……病了。”开始时我以为麦兰达是在学校里传染上了流行性病毒。但是稍后片刻，萨拉特殊教育班的老师打来电话说麦兰达住院了。她在学校发作了一次，已被诊断为脑瘤。外科医生们冒险地为她做了手术；手术造成了她半身不遂，而且说话能力和视力都受到损伤。活组织检查结果还没拿到。
我问：“我们能不能去看她？”我知道萨拉一定想去看她的朋友。
老师说：“麦兰达心情很不好，不想见任何人。她的父母要求人们只送卡片，而不要去探望她。”
我许诺说：“我们会坚持为她做祷告的。”
当晚萨拉跪在床边，手里抓着那只玩具象。她祈祷说：“请……求上……帝让……麦……兰达好起来。”她一晚接一晚地祷告着，恳求上帝治好她的朋友。二月初的一个晚上，萨拉在祈祷时突然中断，她用肘轻轻推了我一下说：
“让我们……为麦……兰达做一件情……人节的礼……物吧！”
第二天，我和萨拉一起坐在厨房的桌旁。我帮她在一张很大的粉红相间的美术纸上写上麦兰达的名字。她则用贴纸和闪光的魔笔来装饰名字的每一个字母。她还环绕这名字画了一个大大的鸡心，又用糖纸做成心形粘贴成“永远的朋友”，“成为我的”等短语。她按类似的样子又加做了四张。当她把卡片装入一个大信封时，她问：“Love这词是……是怎样拼……拼写的？”我大声地一个一个字母朗读着，她吃力地用印刷体写出了“LOVE”这词，几个字母歪歪倒倒不成样子，然后签上自己的名字。
两个星期过去了，我们听说麦兰达再次动了手术。情人节那天我接到了麦兰达妈妈打来的电话说：“麦兰达已出院回家，她很想见萨拉。”
“回家了？”我吃惊地问。
“麦兰达的脑瘤是良性的，我们正盼望她完全康复。”
在我们讨论麦兰达的预后时，玛丽又转达了她对萨拉的感激之情，感谢她做的卡片。她说：“麦兰达一度情绪低沉。她得到一大堆信件、卡片和礼物，但一件都不去打开来看。之后，一天早上萨拉自制的卡片寄到了，我们打开了信封，麦兰达开怀地微笑了；她紧紧地抱住它，不肯放下。”玛丽激动地哽噎了。“麦兰达的好转是我们祈祷的结果。”
那时我意识到萨拉和麦兰达是一对最忠实的朋友。她俩的感情不是由智力、健康、残障，而是由爱——一种无条件的给予和接受的爱——决定的。她们用欢笑和相互支持来战胜伤残，她们之间的友谊永远是平等的。
现在，两个女孩都不错。麦兰达快要满12岁，萨拉则快13岁了。通过强化治疗，麦兰达的各项神经机能已恢复正常。萨拉口吃的毛病也大为好转了，她甚至还能做一些朗读。虽然我家搬到了另一个社区，两个女孩仍保持着密切联系。麦兰达不久前还来我家过夜。
两个女孩坐在我家厨房聊天，她们谈麦兰达新打的耳环孔，谈萨拉在特殊教育班里偷偷地处的一个“男朋友”。谈着谈着萨拉拉开厨房桌子的抽屉，取出拍纸薄和铅笔。
“S-A-R-A-H”，麦兰达和以前一样大声念着字母，萨拉则不用人帮助就用印刷体写出了自己的名字。麦兰达在一旁看着直拍手，她说：“萨拉，干得不错！”我瞧了一眼我女儿的杰作，发现她的名字写得非常之好。
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