As we walked out of the 3)auditorium looking for our son, we saw him standing with his closest friends, arm in arm, posing for the parent photos. He came over to us; we hugged as we always do after a concert, telling him how proud we were, how awesome he was. But we noticed that he was having a bit of a tough time. He had tears in his eyes.

当我们走出礼堂寻找我们的儿子时，我们看见他和他的密友手挽着手站在一起，正儿八经地在合照。他向我们走来。我们一如往常地在音乐会结束后，习惯性地拥抱了一下，然后告诉他，我们感到多么自豪，他是多么的棒。但我们注意到，他当时感到有点难受，眼里含着泪水。

We asked if he was OK. He looked at us, holding back tears, and said, "I just can't believe it's over. It's really sad."

我们问他是否还好。他抑制住泪水看着我们，说道："我只是无法相信高中生活就这么结束了。真让人难过。"

I looked at my son, proud he was comfortable showing his emotions amongst his friends who were also clearly 4)choked up. And I remembered the words I said to my wife a few years earlier: "You're lucky to be sad."

我看着我的儿子，很自豪于看到他能在显然已哽咽的朋友们面前安然地流露自己的感情。我记得在早几年前，我对妻子说过的那些话："能感到悲伤是件幸运的事。"

I looked at Rob and reminded him, "You've had a special time; you've made so many good close friends. You are lucky to have had the kind of time that you will truly miss." He nodded.

我看着罗布，提醒他说："你拥有过一段特别的时光，交了这么多的密友，能经历过这段往后会真心怀念的时光，你是幸运的。"他点点头。

When it comes to family, my wife and I, like many of our close friends, have looked at things a bit differently from other parents. Over the years, when it was time to send our kids off to camp or college, there would be those who'd say, "Lucky you—you must be so relieved. You have your freedom!" We'd see parents 5)high-fiving each other as the buses drove away, several muttering to themselves, "Finally, they are gone."

谈及家庭，我和妻子与咱们的许多密友一般，有着跟其他父母不太一样的看法。过去这些年里，每到要送孩子去野营或上大学的时候，总有些人会说："你真幸运……你肯定一下子轻松了不少。你自由啦！"当公交车载着孩子离开时，我们会看见一些父母相互欢欣击掌，有些还会喃喃自语道："他们终于走了。"

We never understood them. We would sit in the car driving home quietly but clearly a bit depressed. We'd wonder if we were strange to not be seeing the separation as some parentally liberating event. We decided we weren't strange at all, just lucky. To have kids we preferred being with, children we would miss.

我一直都没有弄懂他们。我们会坐在车里，静静地把车开回家，但明显感觉到有些沮丧。我们也曾怀疑自己是否有些奇怪，因为我们没有将分离视为从父母重责中"解放"出来的时机。 后来我们觉得自己其实一点也不奇怪，反而是很幸运。我们拥有的这群子女，是我们喜欢相伴身旁，会想念记挂的子女。

It was three years ago, nearly to the day. Our middle child was walking through the 6)processional as Mamaroneck High School celebrated its graduating seniors. It was a perfect day and there we were, my wife and I, applauding, cheering and then, as always, photographing Will and all his friends as they left the high school field.

三年前，差不多是这个时候，马马罗内克高中为其高三毕业生举行庆祝仪式，我们的第二个孩子在列队行进音乐中迈进。那是完美的一天，我和妻子都在现场鼓掌、欢呼，并且接下来如往常一般，为将要结束高中生活的维尔和他的朋友们拍照。

Our son was off to a graduation party and would meet us later. My wife and I sat in the car at the stop light, waiting to pull out of the high school parking lot. I remember the moment vividly. With a 7)lump in my throat, I looked over to my wife, and she was sitting there with tears in her eyes. "I'll be OK," she said. "I'm going to miss him so much. It's just so sad."

我们的儿子去参加毕业派对了，迟些再和我们汇合。我和妻子坐在车里，等着绿灯亮就把车开出高中校园的停车场。我还清晰地记得那一刻。我的喉咙哽住了，我看了看妻子，她正坐在那儿，满眼是泪。"我会没事的，"她说，"我会很想念他的。只是感到很难过。"

That's when I first had the thought—we are lucky to be sad.

那次是我第一次有了这种想法——能感到悲伤对于我们来说是件幸运的事。

OK. So my wife and I are a bit on the 8)sappy side. But the truth is we have cherished our home-life, watching our kids grow up, being a part of their lives. I suppose that if it hadn't been so sweet, if we hadn't had year after year of times we would miss, we'd be driving away from the school high-fiving each other.

好吧。这样看来，我和妻子是有些多愁善感。但事实是，我们珍惜我们的家庭生活——看着我们的孩子们长大，成为他们生命中的一部分。我想，如果之前相伴度过的日子不是那么甜蜜，如果我们不曾拥有让人怀念的这些年月，我们夫妻俩也许就会欢欣击掌，畅快地开车离开学校。

Several years before Will's graduation I drove my daughter to college for the first time. Not just any college. My college. What a mix of emotions that was—reliving the times I'd had, sharing the stories on the long drive to Ithaca, hoping she wouldn't do the things I'd done, wondering how I'd feel making the long drive home alone.

威尔毕业前的几年前，我第一次开车载着女儿去上大学。不只是随随便便的某所大学，而是我毕业的大学。那是一种多么复杂的情绪——我重新体验了一番那些曾度过的时光，在前往伊萨卡镇的长途行驶中和女儿分享一个个故事，希望她不会重蹈我的覆辙，同时也好奇自己将怀着一种怎样的感受独自长途开车回家。