Michael Dorris（1945-1997）是一位人類學家，他領養了三個孩子，結婚後又生下三個孩子，具有豐富的為人父親的經驗；但是他還在襁褓時，父親就過世了。

我的父親是個職業軍人，二十七歲就戰亡。我對他的認識是從一些傳聞逸事拼湊而成，譬如：父親經常找裁縫修改軍服；和媽媽約會時他很懂得點菜......等等。他最後一次見到我時我才幾個月大，僅存的一張照片中他把我抱在懷中，是我們父子曾經見過面的有力證據。

My father, a career army officer, was twenty-seven when he was killed. Over the years, his image has coalesced for me as an amalgam of familiar anecdotes: a soldier who regularly had his uniform altered by a tailor so that it would fit better; a date, according to my mother, who "knew how to order" in a restaurant...... I was a few months old the last time he saw me, and a single photograph of me in his arms is the only hard evidence that we ever met.

後來我們搬回肯德基州，和外婆及媽媽的姊姊Marion阿姨住一起。我小時候流行一本童書叫《幸福的家庭》，描繪二十世紀中葉一般家庭的生活：爸爸上班，媽媽在廚房烤東西，鄰居孩子常到家裡玩。然而我的家卻完全不一樣，所以當阿姨用嘲諷的語氣讀這本書給我聽時，這個家庭變得很可笑。阿姨富有同情心又慷慨，固執但也胸襟開闊，意志堅強卻又樂觀。夏日傍晚她陪我打棒球，她教我騎馬，我生病時她在床邊照顧我。

Compassionate and generous, opinionated yet open-minded, iron willed and ever optimistic, my aunt was the one who pitched a baseball with me in the early summer evenings, who took me horseback riding, who sat by my bed when I was ill.

我十五歲時，阿姨還請鄰居爺爺教我刮鬍子；她則親自教我開手排檔的車，購買整套的世界百科全書給我。她還將房子抵押貸款讓我到西非的馬里當義工，還以每周四美元分期付款為我買打字機。阿姨年輕時也渴望結婚生子，但是她終身未嫁，所以有許多時間照顧我。許多人說我倆很像：頑固、有決心、心腸軟但也固執己見。我們常吵架，但她要我全力以赴去達成我的人生目標。

Many people say we're much alike: stubborn, determined, softhearted, and opinionated. We argued often. She always expected me to do my best. She never failed to assure me that I could do anything with my life that I wanted, if I only tried hard enough.

阿姨曾擔任過電報員、市府預算員、銀行員，也當過律師的秘書。如果社會公平一點，她早就當上老板了，但是阿姨從不居功。拍家族合照時，除非被硬拉到中間，否則她總是站在旁邊，也不張揚她所付出的一切。所以四十年來，每當六月來臨時（美國父親節是六月第三周日），我一定寄張賀卡給Marion阿姨，表示我對她的感激。

Being Aunt Marion, she didn't and doesn't give herself much credit. Unless dragged to center stage, she stands at the periphery in snapshots, minimizes her contributions. So every June for the past 40 years, in growing appreciation of my Aunt Marion, I've sent her a Father's Day card.

Marion阿姨無私的愛讓Michael Dorris日後也成為一個好父親。