第2章青春不散场（1）
&h
因为他的存在，你开怀大笑；因为他的存在，你相信人间真情永驻；因为他的存在，你坚信世界上存在一扇不加锁的门，只等待你来开启。这就是永恒的友谊。在艰难、困苦、烦恼的日子里，即使世界上所有的人都背叛你，他始终陪伴着你，世界也由黯淡、空虚变得明亮而充实：这就是永远的朋友。
寻找自己的路
FindingMy>
热妮？高迪奥瑟ZanGaudioso
IstartedcollegewhenIwas16yearsold。ItwasabigscarypladIwasyouandinginliionwiththehordesofotherpeople。Ifeltsoinsediothosewhoweremysupposedpeers。HowwouldIevermeasureuptothesepeoplewhoseemedsotathey>
Ididn’thaveanyspecificdire。Ididn’thaveaclueastowhatIwaodoorbe。Collegewasjustthelogicalstep。Ifeltverymuchoutofplae，thesepeoplearoundmeembodiedmypictureoftheatecollegestudeherelaughingwiththeirfriends，acupofohescheduleoftheother，disgtheiroptionsfortheup。Me，IhadalistofapieceofpaperthatIhadpainstakihmybigbrhtbefore。IfIdidhoseparticularclasses，Iwassunk。Theideaofhavingabanevereveome。WhatwouldIdo？Iwouldjustdie。Ikgtion—Iwasincollegeforheavehrowingupwouldbeamoresociallyacceptablerea。Iwasalone，nervousandfeeliooninamuseumofpricelesspaintings。
&hefirstweekofclassesstarted，Ihadthedauntingtasktofigureoutwheremyclasseswereinthiscitytheycalledaschool。Iwasalreadyexhaustedbythetasktoparkmycar。Feelingawkward，outofplaawistiightmares，studyiiiohingsonmymind。ButIputoinfroherandprayedlwouldfindsomesolaewhere。AndIdid。
Hewalkedintomylifeandintothehugeauditoriumthatlookedmorelikeamovietheaterthana。Butiakihelargelecturehall，heuedtowardthefrooteachtheclass。Hewassmartandfunny。Istartedtofiovisithisoffice。Thisstrangenewworldstartedtoholdnewmeaningforme，aoexploreitwithmorebravado。ThatwasthegoodhebadhatIhadaanicemyage，marriedandhadafamily。ButIfelthelplessamongallthesenewfeelingsandexperiencesIwashaving。Wasthiswhatbeingaallseemedtoog。
IexhisedayheaskedmeifIwaohelphimgradepapers，fileanddosomeofficework—ateacher’saideofsorts。Therewasoaskmetwice。Astheweekspassed，wesharedlotsoftimetogether。Ilearodrinkcphilosophiversations。Webeds。
Muysurprise，outoftheblue，heaskedmeifIwouldsiderdoitingforhim。Iwasgettinganinvitatioofhisprivateworld。IwasgiveohishouseandtoldtoebythatThursday。
Iarrivedathishousepromptlyatsix。Hegreetedmeatthedoor。“Thankyousthis。It’sveryimportanttome。”Heexplaihiswifewastakingcaremotherandhadtakeh-oldbabywithher。Lily，their6-year-old，neededspecialdheingtofindsomeonewhowouldclickwithher。
“Lilyhascysticfibrosisaoomuchofherlittlelifeinbed。”MyheartjustbrokeasIsawthelovehehadinhiseyesforhislittlegirl。
&ookmeintoherroomand，inthemiddleofaprihisfair-hairedlittleangel。Shehadsomesapparatushatlelyoutofplace，ewassomethingIaredfor。
“ThisisthegirlItoldyouabout，Sweetie，”hesigohisdaughter。ItturhatLilywasdeafaswell。Ipanicked。HowwouldIuhher？Whatiftherewasanemergency？
“Heroralskillsaregoodenoughthatyouwillbeabletouandher，andyou’llprobablypiesignlanguage。I’llonlybegone，acoupleofhours。”Heleftmewithemergenumbersainformation，andthenhewasgone。
IsatdowhLily，alefiedflying。IshruggedmyshoulderstoletherknowthatIwaslost。Shesmiledsweetlyaedtousehervoice。Sheexplaiwaseasiertobreathewheherfingersd。ThatnightIhadmyfirstlessoninsignlanguage。
&heonths，IspentalotoftimewithLily。AsIgottoknowLily’sdadasafatherandasahusband，theged。NowIwasfallihhisdaughter。Shetaughtmesomulyhowtosign，butalsohoreciateeaylifeandhoverhingswasjuststupid。Welaughedtogetherwhemethesignforstupid，whereyoutaketheclosedfisththandandknothesideofyourforehead—asifyou’reknogtetin。ShelaughedasImadebelievethatIwashurtingmyselfbyknoyheadtoohard。Andshewouldsign，“Youhurtyourselfjustasmuyoureallydoworry。”Shewaswisebeyondheryears。Besidesgivingmeherlove，Lilyalsogavemedire。Iwentoabachelreeinspecialeduhasisiion。
IremaihLilyandherwholefamilythroughoutmycollegeyearsahecrushIhadonmycollegeprofessorservedmeverywell。Ileardealaboutlifeatthehandsofayoungchild。
Someyearslater，IwasaskedtosigntheLord’sPrayeratLily’sfuheretoldstoriesabouthowthisonesmalllifemadesuchabigdiffereosomany。And，asLilytaughtmewhensheshowedmethesignforIloveyou，“Makesurewhehissignthatyoureallymeanit。”