It all began as we were standing in front of the bathroom mirror,?me, fixing Amanda's blonde hair. I said, “I love you, Amanda.” “And, I love you,” she replied. “Oh, yeah,” I taunted. “Well, I love you more.” Her eyes lit up as she recognized the cue for the start of another “I love you more” match. “Nuh-uh,” she laughed, “I love you the most.” “I love you bigger than a volcano!” I countered—a favorite family phrase in these battles of love. “But, Mom, I love you from here to China.” A country she's learning about from our new neighbors up the street. We volleyed back and forth a few favorite lines. “I love you more than peanut butter.” “Well, I love you more than television.” “I even love you more than bubble gum.” It was my turn again, and I made the move that usually brings victory. “I love you bigger than the universe!” On this day, however, Amanda was not going to give up. I could see she was thinking. “Mom,” she said in a quiet voice, “I love you more than myself.”I stopped. Dumbfounded，overwhelmed by her sincerity. Here I thought I knew more than she did. I thought I knew at least everything that she knew. However, my four-year-old daughter knows more about love than her 28-year-old mom.
事情發(fā)生時(shí)，我們倆正站在浴室的鏡子前，我替阿曼達(dá)梳理她的一頭金發(fā)。我說，“我愛你，阿曼達(dá)?！薄拔乙矏勰?，”她回答?！班?，是的，”我嘲弄她?！昂冒?，我愛你更多。”當(dāng)她意識(shí)到另一場(chǎng)關(guān)于“我愛你”的口舌之爭(zhēng)拉開帷幕時(shí)，她的眼睛閃閃發(fā)亮?！皡?，”她大笑著說，“我最愛你?！蔽一鼐吹溃骸拔覍?duì)你的愛比一座火山還要大！”這句話是我們愛的爭(zhēng)奪戰(zhàn)中最受歡迎的家庭用語(yǔ)?！翱?，媽媽，我對(duì)你的愛從這里一直延伸到中國(guó)?！边@是她從我們街那頭新來的鄰居那兒學(xué)到的國(guó)家名稱。我們用這些美言你來我往地斗了幾個(gè)回合?！拔覑勰銊龠^愛花生醬。”“噢，我愛你勝過愛電視機(jī)?！薄拔覑勰闵踔脸^愛泡泡糖?！庇州喌轿伊耍覜Q定使出殺手锏：“我對(duì)你的愛超越整個(gè)宇宙！”每次用這招都會(huì)勝出的?？山裉欤⒙_(dá)不打算“善罷甘休”。我看得出她正絞盡腦汁。“媽媽，”她平靜地說，“我愛你勝過愛我自己?！蔽翌D時(shí)無言以對(duì)，目瞪口呆。女兒的真誠(chéng)讓我折服。我原以為，我比她懂得更多。我以為，至少她知道的事情我都知道。可是，我那4歲的寶貝女兒比她28歲的媽媽更懂得愛。