Years of storms had taken their toll on the old windmill. Its wheel, rusted and fallen, lay silent in the lush bluegrass. Its once animated silhouette was now a tall motionless steeple in the twilight sun. 

    I hadn‘t walked across our old farm in fifteen years. Yet the sensations came flooding back. I could smell the freshness of new mown alfalfa. I could feel the ping of the ice cold summer rain, and the sun‘s sudden warmth on my wet shoulders when it reappeared after a brisk July thunderstorm.

    Rain or shine, I used to walk this path each day to see Greta. She always made me smile, even after Sis and I had just had a big squabble. I would help Greta with her chores. Then we would visit over a generous helping of her delicious homemade chocolate cookies and ice cream. Being confined to a wheel chair didn‘t stop Greta from being a fabulous cook.

    Greta gave me two of the greatest gifts I‘ve ever received. First, she taught me how to read. She also taught me that when I forgave Sis for our squabbles, it meant I wouldn‘t keep feeling like a victim. Instead, I would feel sunny.

    Mr. Dinking, the local banker, tried to foreclose on Greta‘s house and land after her husband passed away. Thanks to Pa and Uncle Johan, Greta got to keep everything. Pa said that it was the least he could do for someone talented enough to teach me to read!

    Soon folks were coming from miles around to buy Greta‘s homemade cakes, pies, breads, cookies, cider, and ice cream. Hank, the grocery store man, came each week to stock his shelves and bring Greta supplies.

    Greta even had me take a big apple pie to Mr. Dinking who became one of her best customers and friends. That‘s just how Greta was. She could turn anyone into a friend!

    Greta always said, "Dear, keep walking in sunshine!" No matter how terrible my day started, I always felt sunny walking home from Greta‘s house-even beneath the winter starlight.

    I arrived at Greta‘s house today just after sunset. An ambulance had stopped a few feet from her door, it‘s red lights flashing. When I ran into the old house, Greta recognized me right away.

    She smiled at me with her unforgettable twinkling blue eyes. She was almost out of breath when she reached out and softly touched my arm. Her last words to me were "Dear, keep walking in sunshine!"

    I‘m sure that Greta is walking in the brightest sunshine she‘s ever seen. And, I‘m sure that she heard every word I read at her memorial service.

    I chose a beautiful verse by Leo Buscaglia. It‘s one that Greta taught me to read many years ago…

    "Love can never grow old. Locks may lose their brown and gold. Cheeks may fade and hollow grow. But the hearts that love will know, never winter‘s frost and chill, summer‘s warmth is in them still."

    多年的風雨毀壞了古老的風車。車輪已經銹了，倒了，靜靜地躺臥在茂盛的六月禾叢中。在落日的襯托下，曾經散發著生氣的風車如今如聳立的尖塔般冰冷、生硬。

    我已經有十五年沒有走過我們的農場了。然而，那些感覺又洶涌而至。我仿佛聞到了新割的苜蓿的清新氣息，感覺到了冰冷夏雨敲打在身上，還有七月的雨后陽光照射在濕漉漉的身上驟然傳來的暖意。

    無論雨天或晴天，我曾經天天沿著這條小徑去探望葛麗塔。即使我剛和姐姐大吵了一場，她也總能使我舒懷微笑。我會幫葛麗塔做些家務。然后，我們會大快朵頤，品嘗她親手做的巧克力曲奇餅和冰淇淋。以輪椅代步并不妨礙她成為一名出色的廚師。

    葛麗塔送給我兩件最了不起的禮物。首先，她教會了我認字。而且，在她身上我還學會一樣東西，讓我不再記恨于與我爭吵的姐姐，讓我不再覺得委屈，心情因此也就開朗起來。

    在葛麗塔的丈夫去世后，當地的銀行家丁肯先生曾經要收取她抵押給了銀行的房子。幸虧有爸爸和約翰叔叔的幫忙，葛麗塔才保住了一切。爸爸說，對一位聰明得能教會我認字的人，這只是他力所能及的一件小事！

    很快，方圓數英里的人們都來買葛麗塔做的蛋糕、餡餅、面包、曲奇餅、蘋果酒和冰淇淋。每周，雜貨店老板漢克都會給她送來材料，并從她那里進貨。

    葛麗塔甚至讓我給丁肯先生送去一個大蘋果餡餅。他也成為了她的顧客和朋友。這就是葛麗塔。她可以把任何人都變成朋友！

    葛麗塔常說：“親愛的，記得要走在陽光里！” 每天，不管一開始怎么糟糕，從葛麗塔的小屋走回家時，即使是披著冬夜的星光，我都會感覺心情舒暢。

    這天，太陽剛下山我就來到葛麗塔家了。她門前幾尺外已然停著一輛救護車。車上的紅燈閃爍不停。當我沖入那所舊房子時，葛麗塔立刻認出了我。

    她沖我微微一笑，令人難忘的那雙藍眼睛閃著光芒。當她伸手輕撫我的手臂時，她已經奄奄一息了。她最后對我說的話是：“親愛的，記得要走在陽光里！”

    我肯定葛麗塔此時正漫步在她所見過的最明媚的陽光里。我也肯定她聽見了我在她的追悼儀式上所念的每一個字。

    我選了利奧·巴斯卡格里亞的一首優美的詩，正是那首葛麗塔多年前教我念的詩。

    “愛能歷久常新。華發或會失去原有的光彩。雙頰或會日顯消瘦黯淡。然而，有愛的心中，從無寒冬霜冰，只有夏之溫熱。”