父亲留给我的最后的话

My Dad died in November.

我的父亲11月份去世了。

He was an ER doc, a Stephen Minister, a street art/graffiti artist, a college professor, a cancer researcher, a bee keeper, and a cookbook author.

父亲身兼数职，他曾做过急诊科医生，咨询顾问，街头艺术家，大学教授，癌症研究专家，还当过养蜂人，写过美食烹饪类的书。

He was a former US Marine, a book club leader, a community organizer,

他曾在美国海军服役，担任过读书俱乐部的领头人，主持过社区工作。

and even though he could afford a new car, drove an old 1992 5-speed Honda with 200k+ miles on it, just because he liked it.

他总是开着一辆1992年生产的本田汽车，有5个档位，累积路程超过20万公里，其实他完全支付得起一辆新车，却执意要开这辆，就因为他喜欢这车。

He was the father of five, including two sets of twins, and all of them were born while he was in med school/doing his residency.

他膝下有5个儿女，其中包括2对双胞胎，这些孩子都是他在医学院念书或者实习的时候出生的。

He loved chaos and craziness , thrived on it.

他喜欢家里吵吵闹闹的，喜欢疯狂的闹剧，这会让他神采焕发。

Dad was diagnosed with Stage 4 esophageal cancer in 2008 and given two years to live,

2008年，父亲被诊断患有重度食道癌，被宣判最多还有两年时间。

just one day before our home was ruined by Hurricane Ike - and he lived for 10 years beyond his diagnosis .

就在随后的一天，飓风艾克摧毁了我们的家。尽管如此，他还是比医生断言的寿命多活了10年。

He loved working with the other cancer patients, and made an entire library in his office of humorous reading materials and DVD's

他喜欢和其他的癌症病人互动，在自己的办公室里屯了满满一屋子的幽默读物和DVD，简直成了一家私人图书馆。

- and was always on the lookout for Butter Rum flavored Life Savers candies because he thought they were soothing to the throat.

旁人一不留神，他就趁机把一颗黄油朗姆酒口味的Life Savers牌糖果塞入口中，他说这种糖的口感太柔滑了，简直入口即化。

Spent a week living in the hospital during Hurricane Harvey so the staff whose homes had flooded did not have to come in.

哈维飓风席卷美国的时候，为了给那些受水灾之苦的医院员工提供便利，他在医院里住了一个星期。

Gave up his food so patients could be fed when high water cut off their food supply.

医院里病患的口粮供应锐减时，他主动让出自己的口粮，好让病人们吃饱。

Said it was the most interesting thing he had ever been a part of.

还说，这是他参与过的最有意思的事情。

To others, he was a doctor, a neighbor, or just a guy.

对其他人来说，他是一个医生，一个邻居，或者仅仅是一个陌生男人。

To me, he was a larger-than-life role model, easily the funniest person I ever met, and fiercely protective of those he loved.

而对于我。他是我的传奇英雄，榜样，是我见过的最幽默的人，是那个拼命保护他所爱的家人的人。

He couldn't stand the president of his neighborhood HOA - and anytime he saw a horror film or a Halloween witch portrayed on television, he would refer to it as "a documentary about our HOA president."

他不能忍受社区物主协会的协会主席。每次他在电视上看到恐怖片里的魔鬼或者万圣节庆典上的女巫，他都会说，“这不就是我们的协会主席主演的纪录片吗？”

A couple of days before he died, he told us it was time to go to Hospice Care, where he died three days later.

在他去世前几天，他告诉我们，是时候送他去医院接受临终关怀了。三天后他就死在医院里。

And he left me this message, telling me to share it with all the people I met:

他给我留下了一条短信，告诉我，把这条短信跟所有我认识的人分享。

"Please don't send flowers or be sad for me, I had a great life.

请不要为我贡献花束，不要为我悲伤，我已经度过了幸福的一生。

Instead, give yourself the gift of having joy in life.

请享受生活中的欢乐，把这种生活态度作为礼物送给自己。

Have a steak or a couple of great tacos and a beer.

享用一块牛排，享用美味的玉米片，来杯啤酒。

Fly a kite with your child or run with the family dog.

和你的孩子一起去放风筝，和你家的狗一起去奔跑。

Forgive someone (or yourself) for actions that happened in the past and move on with purpose.

原谅别人（或者你自己），忘记他曾经做过的事情，让自己向前看。

Connect with a childhood friend. Tell a teacher how much they meant to you

与儿时的伙伴联系。告诉儿时的老师他们给了你多么重要的启迪。

Live your life, love without fear of being hurt, and laugh every chance you get.

真切的去生活，去爱，不要害怕受到伤害，珍惜每一个值得开心的机会去放声大笑。

Look for the good. Donate your time with a cause you find important.

看向事物好的一面。把时间用在你觉得重要的事情上。

Or just look within to make things a little better inside your heart

如果做不到，就探问一下自己的内心，让这件事在你的心里变得更有趣。

Don't waste time, folks. The number one complaint I see in medicine is not disease, it's loneliness - don't fall into the trap of thinking you have time to spare.

伙计们，不要虚度光阴。与医学打交道了一辈子，我发现人们抱怨最多的并不是疾病，而是孤独——别总想着自己没有时间，这是一个陷阱。

Get out of the house. Put down the phone. Don't worry about "likes", replace all that with people you love.

别闷在屋里。放下手机。别为“点赞”的事情着急，把这些精力投注到你爱的人身上去吧！

Do more, and worry less.

多行动，少忧劳。

If you want to remember me well, do one kind thing today,

如果你们想记住我，请就在今天做一件善良的事情。

whether it's a smile for a stranger, having a bit of patience for someone struggling with their day, or helping a neighbor."

任何善良的事情都可以，无论是给陌生人的一个微笑，对那些艰难维持生计的小贩多点耐心，还是给邻居提供帮助

- even if it's the head of your HOA and she's an old witch.

——即便这位邻居是你的社区物主协会主席，或者是一个老巫婆。

I'll be watching. Remember, I love you, and always will - and there's not a thing you can do to change that

我会在天上看着你们。记住，我爱你们，永远都爱。没有任何事情能改变这一点。