The Greatest Song of All

Whitney Houston的歌，是我在學生年代參加歌唱比賽常選的歌，因為有難度夠討好，而我亦因此接觸到“The Greatest Love of All”。多年來，久不久總會重溫這首歌，發現在不同成長階段，歌詞觸動我的地方都有所不同……

大學時期至畢業之初，這一段不斷給我力量去堅持所選的窄路：
I decided long ago, never to walk in anyone’s shadow
If I fail, if I succeed, at least I’ll live as I believe
No matter what they take from me, they can’t take away my dignity

當我曾在戲劇教育路上感孤單時，以下幾句鼓勵著我：
Everybody’s searching for a hero
People need someone to look up to
I never found anyone who fulfilled my needs
A lonely place to be, and so I learned to depend on me

然後，在學生年代對第一段歌詞從來沒有太大感覺的我，現成為教育工作者後有了不一樣的體會：
I believe the children are our future
Teach them well and let them lead the way
Show them all the beauty they possess inside
Give them a sense of pride to make it easier
Let the children’s laughter remind us how we used to be

今天，在偶爾感到迷失、軟弱的時候，我會記得以下幾句：
Learning to love yourself
It is the greatest love of all
…
And if by chance that special place
That you've been dreaming of
Leads you to a lonely place
Find your strength in love

一首伴著我成長的歌；我的greatest song of all。

謝謝Whitney Houston。願她安息。