身邊總有你(Right Beside You)
當這個手持白杖的年輕女子小心翼翼地上車時，車上的乘客都向她投去憐憫的目光。她向司機付了車費之后，雙手摸索著座位，然后坐好，把公文包放在膝蓋上，手杖靠著腿。
34歲的蘇珊失明已有一年了。一起醫(yī)療事故奪去了她的視力，她頓時陷入黑暗之中，內(nèi)心充滿憤怒、沮喪，還有顧影自憐，而她可以依靠的只有她的丈夫馬克了。
馬克是名空軍軍官，他深愛著蘇珊。蘇珊失明的頭些日子，他眼睜睜地看著妻子陷入絕望，心里打定主意，要盡一切辦法幫助她。
蘇珊終于愿意重返工作崗位了�？伤趺慈ド习嗄�?以前都是乘公交車去的，但是她現(xiàn)在很害怕，自己一個人不敢在城里轉。于是馬克自告奮勇早晚坐公車接送，直到她可以一個人應付。這就是事情的經(jīng)過。
整整兩周，馬克每天都一身戎裝，陪著蘇珊一起上下班，教她怎么憑借其他感官，尤其是聽覺，判斷她所處的位置，以及如何適應新的環(huán)境。他還幫她與司機交好，這樣司機能照顧她，并給她留個座位。
每天早上，他們都一起同行，然后馬克再乘出租車回去上班。盡管馬克得穿過整座城市，而且疲憊不堪，又花費不菲，但是他堅信蘇珊一定能獨立乘車的，只是時間問題。
最后，蘇珊決定自己獨自坐車上班。星期一上午，臨行前，她緊緊地擁抱著自己的丈夫，眼里蓄滿了感激的淚水，感謝他的忠誠，他的耐心，還有他的愛。她向他道了別，他們第一次朝著不同的方向走去。周一、周二、周三、周四……每天她的獨行之旅都很順利，蘇珊感到一陣狂喜。她成功了!她真的能一個人去上班了!
周五早上，蘇珊照常乘公共汽車去上班。就要下車了，司機說：“小姐，我真羨慕你啊。”蘇珊感到很奇怪，便問司機為什么。
“是這樣的，上星期，每天早上都有一個儀表堂堂穿著軍裝的男士一直站在拐彎處看著你下車，看著你安全地穿過街道，又看著你走進辦公樓，他向你飛一個吻，沖你行個禮，然后才動身離去。你真是個幸運的姑娘啊!” 司機說。
蘇珊的臉上流下幸福的淚水。她是幸運的，因為馬克給了她比視力更珍貴的禮物，一份她不需要看就能體會到的禮物——這就是愛的禮物，它能給黑暗帶來光明。
the passengers on the bus watched sympathetically as the young woman with the white cane made her way carefully up the steps. she paid the driver and then, using her hands to feel the location of the seats, settled in to one. she placed her briefcase on her lap and rested her cane against her leg.
it had been a year since susan, thirty-four, became blind. as the result of a medical accident she was sightless, suddenly thrown into a world of darkness, anger, frustration and self-pity. all she had to cling to was her husband mark.
mark was an air force officer and he loved susan with all his heart. when she first lost her sight, he watched her sink into despair and he became determined to use every means possible to help his wife.
finally, susan felt ready to return to her job, but how would she get there? she used to take the bus, but she was now too frightened to get around the city by herself. mark volunteered to ride the bus with susan each morning and evening until she got the hang of it. and that is exactly what happened.
for two weeks, mark, military uniform and all, accompanied susan to and from work each day. he taught her how to rely on her other senses, specifically her hearing, to determine where she was and how to adapt to her new environment. he helped her befriend the bus drivers who could watch out for her, and save her a seat.
each morning they made the journey together, and mark would take a taxi back to his office. although that meant he had to travel through the city and the routine was costly and exhausting, mark knew it was only a matter of time before susan would be able to ride the bus on her own. he believed in her.
finally, susan decided that she was ready to try the trip on her own. monday morning arrived. before she left, she embraced her husband tightly. her eyes filled with tears of gratitude for his loyalty, his patience, and his love. she said good-bye and, for the first time, they went their separate ways. monday, tuesday, wednesday, thursday... each day on her own went perfectly, and a wild gaiety took hold of susan. she was doing it! she was going to work all by herself!
on friday morning, susan took the bus to work as usual. as she was exiting the bus, the driver said, “miss, i sure envy you.” curious, susan asked the driver why.
“you know, every morning for the past week, a fine looking gentleman in a military uniform has been standing across the corner watching you when you get off the bus. he makes sure you cross the street safely and he watches you until you enter your office building. then he blows you a kiss, gives you a salute and walks away. you are one lucky lady,” the bus driver said.
tears of happiness poured down susan's cheeks. she was so lucky for he had given her a gift more powerful than sight, a gift she didn't need to see to believe—the gift of love that can bring light where there is darkness.