After a while

Veronica A. Shoffstall

After a while you learn the slight difference

between holding a hand and putting hearts together.

And you learn that love doesnt mean depending，

and company doesnt always mean safety.

And you begin to learn

that kisses arent contracts，

and presents arent promises.

And you begin to accept your failures

with your head up and your eyes open

With the grace of a woman，

not the sadness of a child.

And you learn to build all your roads on today，

Because tomorrows ground is too uncertain for plans，

and futures have a way of falling down in mid flight.

After a while you learn

that even sunshine burns if you get too much，

So you plant your own garden and decorate your own soul，

Instead of waiting for someone to bring you flowers.

And you learn

that you really can stand，

that you really are strong，

and you really do have worth.

And you learn and you learn

with every good bye you learn.

不久以后，你明白

牽手并不等同于靈魂的結合，

愛并不意味著依靠，

而陪伴也不一定意味著安穩。

你開始明白

親吻并非契約，

禮物也并不意味著承諾。

你開始昂起頭、睜開眼，

以女人的風度，而非孩子般的悲傷，

接受自己的挫敗。

你學會為今天的自己鋪好所有的路，

因為明天的一切太未知而難以規劃，

未來總是以某種方式突然出現在眼前。

不久以后，你明白

即便是陽光，如果太多，也會將人灼傷，

所以你開始耕種自己的花園，裝扮自己的靈魂，

不再等待他人給予的花朵。

你終于明白

自己真的很有耐力，

真的很強大，

真的有自己的價值，

每一次道別都讓你學會很多……

（Dear， have you learned anything from your life？）

雅婷翻譯整理