Magic

　　魔法

　　When I was younger I was entranced with stories of magic. I devoured books where wizards and warriors battled the powers of darkness in strange worlds. I rejoiced when they triumphed bringing peace and happiness to their lands. I guess like most of the readers of these stories I secretly wished for magical powers for myself. I wanted to be able to magically make my pain disappear, to make my problems go away, and to have power over this world that so often has power over us.

　　在我年轻的时候，我就对魔法故事深深着迷。我如饥似渴地阅读有关法师和战士在奇异的世界里与黑势力战斗的书。每当他们取得胜利并为他们生活的这片土地带来了和平和幸福时，我就倍感雀跃。我想，就像看这些故事的大多数读者一样，我也暗暗希望自己能拥有魔法：希望它能奇迹般地让我的痛苦消失，让困扰我的问题得到解决，并能让我掌握这个世界而不用屈从于它。

　　As I got older, however, I realized that there was no such thing as magic and the harsh reality of life set in. I struggled through a long period of poverty. I had daily pain from a back injury that never healed right. I felt sadness and sorrow when both of my sons were diagnosed with Autism. I still sometimes daydreamed of magic but in time even that faded away.

　　然而，当我逐渐长大，我开始意识到，根本就不存在魔法，生活的残酷现实开始袭来。我曾在一段漫长又贫苦的岁月中挣扎。我每天都会因为后背上的伤口而疼痛，这个伤口至今都未痊愈。当我的两个儿子都被诊断为自闭症时，伤感与悲痛从心底涌了出来。我有时还幻想我能拥有魔法，但这种想法很快也就消失了。

　　Then one day I am not sure when I began to discover a different kind of magic. This magic grew stronger in my heart, soul, and mind day by day and year by year. This magic was called LOVE. This magic connected me to God, because God is love. It also connected me to my own highest self and to all of the other souls in this world. It didn’t eliminate my poverty but it made every day of my life feel richer. It didn’t make my back pain go away but it helped me deal with it so much better. It didn’t cure my sons’ Autism, but it helped me see them as the beautiful, loving, eternal, and joyful souls that they truly are. It didn’t make me a wizard or a warrior but it helped me to dispel the darkness of this world with my own light.

　　然后有一天，我不知是何时开始发现了一种独特的魔法。这种魔法在我的心中、灵魂和思想里逐日发展壮大。这种魔法的名字叫爱。这种魔法将我与神联系起来，因为神就是爱。不仅如此，它还让我成为了最好的自己，并和世界上其他的灵魂心系在一起。它没有消除我的贫穷，却让我每一天的生活都很丰富;它没有使我的背部疼痛消失，但它帮助我更好地面对它;它没能治愈我儿子的自闭症，但它让我看到了他们美丽，有爱，永恒，和快乐的灵魂，这是他们真实的样子;它没有使我变成一个法师或战士，但它使我用自己的一点亮光，驱散了这个世界的黑暗。

　　There is such a thing as magic in this world. There is such a thing as magic in each one of us. This magic is called LOVE. May you choose it, share it, and live in it every single day of your life. May you use it to help others, to heal this world, and to build a bridge to Heaven.

　　在这个世界上，的确存在着一种魔法。而且我们每个人都拥有这样一种魔法。这种魔法就是爱。愿你可以选择爱，分享爱，并在充满爱的生活中度过每一天。愿你以爱助人，让这个世界更加美好，达到如天堂般的境地。