It was Molly’s job to hand her father his brown paper lunch bag each morning before he headed off to work.
One morning, in addition to his usual lunch bag, Molly handed him a second paper bag.
This one was worn and held together with staples, and paper clips.
“Why two bags?” her father asked.
“The other is something else,” Molly answered.
“What’s in it?”
“Just some stuff. Take it with you.”
Not wanting to discuss the matter, he stuffed both sacks into his briefcase, kissed Molly and rushed off.
At midday he opened Molly’s bag and took out the contents:
two hair ribbons, three small stones, a plastic dinosaur, a tiny sea shell, a small doll, and 13 pennies...
The busy father smiled, finished eating, and swept the desk clean into the wastebasket, Molly’s stuff included.
That evening, Molly ran up behind him as he read the paper.
“Where’s my bag?”
“What bag?”
“The one I gave you this morning.”
“I left it at the office. Why?”
“I forgot to put this note in it,” she said.
“And, besides, Daddy, the things in the sack are the things I really like — I thought you might like to play with them.
You didn’t lose the bag, did you, Daddy?”
“Oh, no,” he said, lying. “I just forgot to bring it home. I’ll bring it tomorrow.”
While Molly hugged her father’s neck, he unfolded the note that read: “I love you, Daddy.”
Molly had given him her treasures — all that a 7-year-old held dear.
Love in a paper bag, and he missed it — not only missed it, but had thrown it in the wastebasket.
So back he went to the office. Just ahead of the night janitor, he picked up the wastebasket.
He put the treasures inside and carried it home gingerly.
The bag didn’t look so good, but the stuff was all there and that’s what counted.
After dinner, he asked Molly to tell him
It took a long time to tell. Everything had a story or a memory.
“Sometimes I think of all the marvelous times in this sweet life,” he mused.
We should all remember that it’s not the destination that counts in life, but the JOURNEY.
That journey with the people we love is all that really matters.
It is such a simple truth but it is so easily forgotten.
相关单词：staples
staples解释：n.（某国的）主要产品( staple的名词复数 )；钉书钉；U 形钉；主要部份v.用钉书钉钉住( staple的第三人称单数 )
staples例句：
The anvil onto which the staples are pressed was not assemble correctly. 订书机上的铁砧安装错位。 来自辞典例句
I'm trying to make an analysis of the staples of his talk. 我在试行分析他的谈话的要旨。 来自辞典例句
相关单词：briefcase
briefcase解释：n.手提箱，公事皮包
briefcase例句：
He packed a briefcase with what might be required.他把所有可能需要的东西都装进公文包。
He requested the old man to look after the briefcase.他请求那位老人照看这个公事包。
相关单词：dinosaur
dinosaur解释：n.恐龙
dinosaur例句：
Are you trying to tell me that David was attacked by a dinosaur?你是想要告诉我大卫被一支恐龙所攻击？
He stared at the faithful miniature of the dinosaur.他凝视著精确的恐龙缩小模型。
相关单词：janitor
janitor解释：n.看门人，管门人
janitor例句：
The janitor wiped on the windows with his rags.看门人用褴褛的衣服擦着窗户。
The janitor swept the floors and locked up the building every night.那个看门人每天晚上负责打扫大楼的地板和锁门。
相关单词：mused
mused解释：v.沉思，冥想( muse的过去式和过去分词 )；沉思自语说（某事）
mused例句：
\"I wonder if I shall ever see them again, \"he mused. “我不知道是否还可以再见到他们，”他沉思自问。 来自《简明英汉词典》
\"Where are we going from here?\" mused one of Rutherford's guests. 卢瑟福的一位客人忍不住说道：‘我们这是在干什么？” 来自英汉非文学 - 科学史
