Charlotte and Katie's parents died within months of each other， but every birthday the sisters receive cards from their mother with almost unbearably touching words of guidance.

There is just a small pile of no more than half a dozen cards and a couple of labels from Christmas and birthday presents. But Charlotte Matalon produces each of the items from her Special Box， which she keeps beside her bed， as if they are priceless jewels.

She looks at the card dated October 1996. \"My darling Charlotte.\" she reads， barely needing to look since she knows it by heart. \"I am writing this card because I have recently found out that sadly I will not be with you on your 10th birthday...\"

Six weeks after writing this tragic message， Debra Matalon， Charlotte's mother died from breast cancer. She was just 35， but she has provided a unique legacy.

Before she died， Debra wrote a birthday card to each of her two daughters， Charlotte， now 11， and 10-year-old Katie. For them to open every birthday. It is this gesture which has helped the girls come to terms with their terrible grief.

So far they have each received two messages from their mother. There are also a couple more cards in their sad little boxes. These are from their father Alan， sent while he， too， was in hospital. Too weak to write， he just managed to gather the strength to sign a faltering \"Daddy\".

The girls， who now live with their grandparents， carefully store the cards back in their boxes and put them away. They each have My Mummy Me and My Daddy Me photo albums， which they scan while trying to grasp any fresh insight into their parents， or recall the lives they had as a family.

The cards Debra has left them contain a mixture of practical advice for growing girls and simple statements of a mother's love for her children. Reading those words， the sisters feel， was to discover， that their mother seems to be still with them.

Both often think of what their mother has said in her card \"I want you to know that you have always been very special and I have and always will love you dearly...\"

After writing to Charlotte about growing up and the change from being a girl to a young woman， Debra adds: \"Please have fun on your 11th birthday and remember Mummy and Daddy are always with you.\"

Both girls have written letters to their parents in reply. Charlotte telling them about how she went bowling and about a trip to London Zoo. Katie has written how she will never forget her Daddy. \"I know he's still with me.\"

Writing about womanhood. Debra said: \"I remember how embarrassed I was at the time， just remember that every single 10 to 14-year-old has gone through these changes， so don't be afraid and don't be embarrassed.\"

Charlotte puts the card down. \"There are times when I'd like to be able to ask Mummy things.\" She says. \"Just things about life and what to do in a difficult situation at school or whatever.\"

But she knows there are more cards to come. She doesn't know when or how many， but Debra has given a far greater legacy than her will could ever provide. \"A present doesn't say what you think. \"Charlotte says. \"but a card does.\"

And then she reads the words that echo more powerfully than any. \"You are a wonderful girl and remember what Mummy and Daddy have taught you. Look after one another. Lots of love， as always， Mummy.\"

夏洛特和凱蒂的父母幾個月內(nèi)相繼離開了人世……但是，每個生日，姐妹倆都能收到母親的賀卡，卡片上語重心長的教誨讓人感動不已。

六七張賀卡和兩份書簽，這就是夏洛特·馬特龍收到的圣誕禮物和生日禮物。這些卡片被她視為無價珍寶，精心保存在床頭一個特制的盒子里。

她凝視著一張日期為1996年10月的賀卡，“我親愛的夏洛特，”她讀道，幾乎不用看，她已經(jīng)能背下來了?！拔也荒芘c你共度十歲的生日，這令我很難過，特寄此卡片以表祝賀……”

寫下卡片6個星期后，她的媽媽黛布拉·馬特龍因乳腺癌去世了。她只有35歲，卻給女兒留下了一筆獨特的遺產(chǎn)。

臨終前，黛布拉分別給兩個女兒寫好了生日賀卡。今年11歲的夏洛特，還有10歲的凱特，每逢生日都會收到賀卡。正是這種良苦用心，幫助姐妹倆戰(zhàn)勝了難以承受的巨大悲痛。

到現(xiàn)在為止，她們已經(jīng)分別收到了母親兩張卡片。在那令人心酸的小盒子里，還存放著另外一些卡片，那是他們的父親阿倫寄來的。他還在醫(yī)院的時候，身體就已經(jīng)虛弱得無法動手寫字了，但他仍竭盡全力顫抖著寫下了歪歪斜斜的“爸爸”二字。

姐妹倆現(xiàn)在與祖父母住在一起，她們小心翼翼地把每張卡片放進(jìn)盒子里，儲存下來。她們各有一個名為“我和爸爸”、“我和媽媽”的相冊，這樣，她們可以隨時拿出來看，回憶父母的點點滴滴，重溫昔日家庭生活的溫馨。

黛布拉留下的卡片里，有幫助女兒成長的實踐性建議，也飽含了一個母親對女兒最深沉的愛。讀到那些話語，姐妹倆就覺得母親依然和她們在一起。

她們經(jīng)常想起卡片上母親的話：“希望你們知道自己永遠(yuǎn)與眾不同，我永遠(yuǎn)深愛你們……”

在寫給夏洛特的卡片上，談到了她的成長，談到一個女孩轉(zhuǎn)變?yōu)槟贻p女人的過程。黛布拉接著寫道：“祝你11歲生日快樂，記住，媽媽和爸爸永遠(yuǎn)和你在一起。”

姐妹倆都給父母回信。夏洛特告訴他們她怎么玩保齡球，還有去倫敦動物圓游玩的情形。凱蒂曾寫道，她永遠(yuǎn)忘不了爸爸?！拔抑浪€和我們在一起?！?/p>

談到女性問題，黛布拉說道：“我還記得那時自己的困惑，要記住，每一個10至14歲的女孩都會經(jīng)歷這些變化，所以，不要害怕，也不要驚慌?！?/p>

夏洛特放下卡片，“很多時候，我真的想問媽媽一些問題?！彼f，“比如關(guān)于生命，或者學(xué)習(xí)上的困難等等。”

但是，她知道還會有更多的卡片寄過來，只是不知道什么時候或者還有多少。然而，黛布拉給孩子們留下的遺產(chǎn)，價值遠(yuǎn)遠(yuǎn)超過遺囑的分量。“一份禮物不能表盡內(nèi)心的想法，”夏洛特說，“但是，一張卡片卻能。”

接著她讀出的這些話語，比任何東西都更富感染力，更能引起共鳴，“你是一個了不起的女孩，記住媽媽和爸爸的囑咐，你們姐妹倆要互相照顧，媽媽永遠(yuǎn)深愛著你們。”