It all began as we were standing in front of the bathroom mirror, me fixing Amanda's blonde hair. I said, I love you, Amanda. And, I love you, she replied. Oh, yeah, I taunted. Well, I love you more. Her eyes lit up as she recognized the cue for the start of another I love you more match. Nuh-uh, she laughed, I love you the most. I love you bigger than a volcano! I countered—a favorite family phrase in these battles of love. But, Mom, I love you from here to China. A country she's learning about from our new neighbors up the street. We volleyed back and forth a few favorite lines. I love you more than peanut butter. Well, I love you more than television. I even love you more than bubble gum. It was my turn again, and I made the move that usually brings victory. I love you bigger than the universe! On this day, however, Amanda was not going to give up. I could see she was thinking. Mom, she said in a quiet voice, I love you more than myself.I stopped. Dumbfounded，overwhelmed by her sincerity. Here I thought I knew more than she did. I thought I knew at least everything that she knew. However, my four-year-old daughter knows more about love than her 28-year-old mom.

事情发生时，我们俩正站在浴室的镜子前，我替阿曼达梳理她的一头金发。我说，我爱你，阿曼达。我也爱你，她回答。噢，是的，我嘲弄她。好吧，我爱你更多。当她意识到另一场关于我爱你的口舌之争拉开帷幕时，她的眼睛闪闪发亮。呐，她大笑着说，我最爱你。我回敬道：我对你的爱比一座火山还要大！这句话是我们爱的争夺战中最受欢迎的家庭用语。可，妈妈，我对你的爱从这里一直延伸到中国。这是她从我们街那头新来的邻居那儿学到的国家名称。我们用这些美言你来我往地斗了几个回合。我爱你胜过爱花生酱。噢，我爱你胜过爱电视机。我爱你甚至超过爱泡泡糖。又轮到我了，我决定使出杀手锏：我对你的爱超越整个宇宙！每次用这招都会胜出的。可今天，阿曼达不打算善罢甘休。我看得出她正绞尽脑汁。妈妈，她平静地说，我爱你胜过爱我自己。我顿时无言以对，目瞪口呆。女儿的真诚让我折服。我原以为，我比她懂得更多。我以为，至少她知道的事情我都知道。可是，我那4岁的宝贝女儿比她28岁的妈妈更懂得爱。