剛到美國留學的日子，孤單和新鮮交織在一起。白天在圖書館裡埋頭念書，和美國同學點頭微笑，晚上回到那間租來的小房間，才真正感受到異鄉的靜與冷。房間裡沒有太多家具，除了一張床，一個衣櫃，一張書桌外，就是一張雙人的舊沙發。

唸完書，我常躺在沙發上聽收音機裡的音樂，往往，就在音樂聲中睡著進入夢鄉。

那時，我迷上了鄉村歌曲。輕柔的吉他聲、低沉溫暖的嗓音，像一條靜靜流淌的溪水，將我從書本的緊繃中帶到遙遠的田野。每當我躺在沙發上閉上眼，彷彿自己正躺在溪邊的草地上，聽著水聲與蟲鳴，感覺自己回到了家。

在鄉村歌曲的歌星中， 我最喜歡Kenny Rogers 。數十年前，他來芝加哥開演唱會，我興奮得去參加，還買了一件印著他頭像和名字的 T 恤當作紀念。那天的舞台燈光是金黃色的，照在他滿是鬍鬚的臉上，眼神中透著一種既自信又親切的光。他的聲音依舊溫厚，唱到副歌時，台下的觀眾齊聲合唱，彷彿整個禮堂都被一種熟悉而安心的旋律包圍。

2016 年，他來芝加哥的 Ravinia 舉行最後一次告別巡迴演出。那天的夜空清朗，微風輕拂草地，舞台在遠處發著柔和的光。他走上舞台時，步伐已不再像年輕時那麼輕快，高音有時唱不上去，但他依然微笑著與觀眾互動。主持人說，他是帶著感恩回來的，這場巡迴演出是他送給歌迷的最後一個禮物。

我很感激這些年紀大了還願意站在舞台上的老歌星——他們的聲音，是多麼撫慰我們的懷舊情懷啊。那晚，我一邊跟著哼唱，一邊有種時光不再的傷感。

Ravinia 那場演唱會四年後，Kenny Rogers 離開了人世。消息傳來時，我的心像被輕輕攥住一樣難過，但更多的是感激——感激他曾用歌聲陪伴我度過人生的一個階段。

在眾多鄉村歌曲中，最能勾起我回憶的是 《You Are Always On My Mind》。不僅因為它旋律動人，更因為有一段特別的回憶。那是我的生日，他送了我一張卡片，一個禮物和這首歌的錄音帶。他說，這首歌裡的情感正是他想對我說的話。那一刻，我感到一種被珍惜的溫暖。

我們倆都很喜歡鄉村歌曲，也曾經一起去過田納西——那片被譽為鄉村歌曲故鄉的土地。那次的旅程，我們走在納許維爾（Nashville）的小街上，街角的酒吧裡傳來現場樂隊的演奏，歌聲與笑聲從敞開的門縫裡溢出來。黃昏時分，晚霞染紅了天際，我們坐在河畔的長椅上，聽著遠處傳來的音樂，他輕輕又哼起這首 ‘you are always on my mind ‘. 我感覺時間就這樣停在了那個溫暖的瞬間。

多年過去，我們無意中又重逢。那天是黃昏，街燈剛亮，天空還留著一抹淡紫色的雲。他站在咖啡館門口，依舊帶著那個熟悉的笑容，只是眉眼間多了歲月的痕跡。我們聊得很平淡，像久未謀面的老朋友，沒有刻意追問彼此的故事，因為我們都明白，各自的人生早已走上不同的軌道。

後來的日子裡，偶爾，在毫無預期的時候，我會收到他寄來的那首歌——《You Are Always On My Mind》。每當旋律響起，不僅帶我回到那間小小的房間，也會讓我想起 Nashville 的那個黃昏：河水映著落日的光，音樂在空氣中流淌，心裡那份溫柔與感激，至今未散。

命運的安排總有上帝的美意。生命中的相遇，不一定要有結局才算美麗。只要知道，在世界的某個角落，有人始終把你放在心上，那就已經足夠了。

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What song always brings back a particular memory?

When I first came to the United States for my studies, my days were woven from threads of both loneliness and novelty. I would spend the daylight hours buried in books at the library, exchanging polite smiles with my American classmates. But at night, when I returned to my rented little room, the quiet and chill of a foreign land would truly settle in.

The room was sparsely furnished—just a bed, a wardrobe, a desk, and an old two-seater sofa. After finishing my reading, I would often stretch out on that sofa and listen to music on the radio, drifting off to sleep in its melodies.

It was during that time that I fell in love with country music. The gentle strum of the guitar and the warm, low voices felt like a quietly flowing stream, carrying me away from the tension of my studies to some distant open field. Lying there with my eyes closed, I could almost believe I was on a grassy bank by a stream, listening to the murmur of water and the song of crickets—a feeling like coming home.

Among country singers, Kenny Rogers was my favorite. Decades ago, when he came to Chicago for a concert, I was so excited that I bought a ticket and even took home a T-shirt printed with his portrait and name. I still remember the golden stage lights falling across his bearded face, his gaze radiating both confidence and warmth. His voice was as rich as ever, and when he reached the chorus, the audience sang along in unison, as if the whole hall was wrapped in a familiar and comforting melody.

In 2016, he returned to Chicago’s Ravinia Festival for his final farewell tour. That night, the sky was clear, and a light breeze brushed over the grass. From afar, the stage glowed softly. When he walked on, his steps were no longer as light as in his youth, and some of the high notes slipped beyond his reach. But he smiled as he interacted with the audience, and the host said he had come back with gratitude—this tour was his final gift to his fans.

I am deeply thankful for older artists like him, who still choose to stand on stage despite their years—their voices soothe our longing for days gone by. That night, I sang along quietly, with a bittersweet sense that time would never return.

Four years after that Ravinia concert, Kenny Rogers passed away. When the news came, my heart clenched with sadness, but more than that, I felt gratitude—gratitude that his music had accompanied me through a chapter of my life.

Of all country songs, the one that stirs my memories most is You Are Always On My Mind. Not just for its beautiful melody, but for the story behind it. It was my birthday. He gave me a card, a gift, and a cassette of that song. He told me the emotions in it were exactly what he wanted to say to me. In that moment, I felt the warmth of being truly cherished.

We both loved country music, and once we traveled together to Tennessee—the land celebrated as the home of country songs. In Nashville, we strolled down small streets where live music spilled from open bar doors, mingling with laughter. At sunset, the sky blushed red, and we sat on a bench by the river, listening to music drifting from afar. He softly began humming You Are Always On My Mind. Time felt as though it had paused in that gentle moment.

Many years ago , we got connected again through a common friend and we decided to meet for a dinner after exchanging various emails . That day , the streetlights had just come on, and the sky still held a streak of lavender cloud. He stood at the door of a café, wearing that familiar smile, though time had left its trace in his eyes. We spoke with the ease of old friends, without probing into each other’s stories, because we both knew our lives had long since taken different paths.

In the days that followed, every so often, without warning, I would receive that song from him—You Are Always On My Mind. Whenever the melody played, it carried me not only back to that little rented room, but also to that Nashville sunset: the river catching the glow of the setting sun, music flowing through the air, and a tenderness and gratitude in my heart that have never faded.

I believe God has His own beautiful intentions in how fate unfolds. Not every encounter needs an ending to be beautiful. Sometimes, it’s enough simply to know that somewhere in the world, someone still keeps you in their heart.