亲爱的乔纳森：
我们最近忙于家事，由于时差关系，您可能无法及时收到这封信。
我非常感谢您和学校一直以来对伯莎（安毓明）的缅怀。真希望我们能亲自到场，和你们一起庆祝校庆。
伯莎热爱她在中国的家，和在那里度过的时光。从她的照片中，我能感受到她对中国的孩子和人民的深切关爱。她说话时总是带着甜美的歌声。我记忆中的伯莎，她的言行举止总是充满了爱与善良。
当我从母亲那里继承了伯莎的照片时，我不知该如何处理。我无法想象就这样丢弃这些对她意义非凡的照片——尤其是那些记录着她所爱之人的照片。就在我刚刚发布伯莎的两张照片仅仅几周后，林轶南就联系上了我，询问是否有更多的照片。这对我来说，简直是天赐的礼物和奇迹。我最希望的，就是让大家都能看到家人和挚爱之人的照片。
就在几周前，我整理一些童书时，偶然发现了一本我小时候用过的旧活动手册。在里面我看到了一张伯莎留下的便条：
“（1941年）黄世明小姐（收）——来自伯莎”
“（1970年）艾薇，我没法寄出这本书，所以我把它送给你！看看第18页——伯莎姨姨”
书里的第18页，是伯莎所撰写的、关于如何制作中国灯笼的笔记。除了步骤说明和相应的图画，她还写道：
“你想不想组织一下邻里的孩子们，一起做灯笼，然后像中国孩子每年那样，举行灯笼游行？这些灯笼里不能点蜡烛，但它们看起来非常漂亮。”
因为这份笔记与你们的学校有关，也让我对那里的人们有了新的了解，所以它对我来说弥足珍贵。我现在知道伊莎贝尔·黄是谁，也更加了解那些（伯莎的）孩子、同事、朋友，以及她深爱的这片美丽的土地和那里的人们。我们希望，有一天能去拜访她如此深爱的地方，和那里的人们。
怀着深深的爱与感激，
艾薇儿·奥布莱恩
英文原文：
Dear Jonathan,
We have been busy with family and you may not get this in time with the time difference.
I am so grateful for you and the school keeping Bertha’s memory alive. I very much wish we could be there with you in person as you all celebrate.
Bertha loved her China home and time there. From her pictures I can see how much she loved the children and people in China. She never lost her beautiful sing song voice when she spoke. My memory of Bertha is that she was one who always spoke and acted in love and kindness.
When I inherited her pictures from my mother. I had no idea what to do with them. I couldn’t imagine just discarding pictures that meant so much to her - especially all the people that she loved. When Yinan Lin (Lin e nǎn) contacted me asking for pictures only a couple weeks after I initially posted the first two of Bertha, it was a wonderful blessing and miracle. More than anything, I wanted people to have access to photos of family and loved ones.
Just a couple weeks ago I was cleaning out some children’s books and came across an old activity book from my childhood. In it I read this note from Bertha:
"(1941). Miss Isabel Huang - From Bertha H. Allen
(1970) I couldn’t send this, so I give it to you, Avrile! See page 18 - Aunt Bertha”
Page 18 is her contribution on how to make a Chinese lantern. Along with the directions and drawings to match she wrote:
“Would you like to get the children in your neighborhood together, to make lanterns and have a lantern procession as the Chinese children do each year? You cannot light a candle in these lanterns, but they look very pretty.”
Because of the connection to your school and newfound knowledge of the people, this is precious to me. I now know who Isabel Huang is and so much more about the children, colleagues, friends, and the beautiful area and people that had her heart. One day we hope to visit the area and people she loved so much.
With much love and gratitude,
Avrile O'Brien
