在我初中毕业时，我曾认为自己能与那时的同学保持终生的友谊。在我初中毕业时，我曾认为自己能与那时的同学保持终生的友谊。那段时光里，我在美国一所男子学校读书，由于英语能力不佳，我常感觉自己与同龄人格格不入。因此，在那三年中，我大多数时间都是与几位中国同学度过的。我们之间亲密无间且无话不谈。毕业前，我们一起爬山，站在山顶时，我觉得我们将永远保持如此紧密的联系。
然而，毕业后我们各奔东西，前往不同的高中。实际上，那种初中时期的幼稚友谊难以长久，是可以轻易预料到的。一年后，在聚会上，我突然发现我们之间的思想已大相径庭，除了学业之外，几乎无法找到共同话题。随着时间的推移，我开始反思我们之间的矛盾，试图理解现在的分歧。
我曾深恶痛绝离别，认为它无情地撕裂了那些美好时光，并因此感到悲伤。但逐渐地，我意识到分别是成长的一部分，尤其对于我们这些青少年来说尤为重要。
回想起八年级时，我因为2020年的疫情无法回国，曾在一家白人家庭中寄宿一个半月。在那段时光里，我记得自己的无所事事，除了日复一日的吃睡之外，仅偶尔学习。与这家人相处的日子中，除了上网课，他们常带我去附近森林徒步，或者到邻近的达特茅斯学院散步。在家时，我还跟他们一起学习烹饪，并在他们的小工坊里尝试木工，那时的生活充满乐趣，我也因此爱上了木工。
那一个半月很快过去，之后我几乎再也没有再见到他们。尤其是初中毕业后我搬到另一个州后。偶尔看到我在他们家制作的筷子时，我总会想起和他们的相处时光。渐渐地，我意识到木工对我有了更深的意义：它能够保存那些美好的回忆。每当我看到自己制作的物件，那些往事就会再次浮现。我害怕离别带来的伤感，甚至会因此忽略了与他人相处的快乐时光。木工让我明白，没有必要恐惧离别。
曾有不愉快的经历，但在那些美好记忆面前，这些不快都显得微不足道，它们仅仅代表着过去。我们应该让过去的美好成为我们前进的动力。即使与朋友或家人有过不愉快的离别，也应逐步放下那些负面情绪。一路走来不易，过去的就让它过去。无论未来如何，都应珍惜当下每一天，让现在的自己无怨无悔。回望过去，虽然偶尔会感叹时光飞逝，但内心仍会珍藏那些美好的记忆。离别，其实并不总是痛苦的。
正如那对筷子一般，即使四年过去了，我仍能清晰记得与寄宿家庭一起包饺子的快乐时光，曾经的点滴，仍历历在目。
Farewell
When I graduated from middle school, I believed that I could maintain lifelong friendships with my classmates at the time. During that period, I attended an all-boys school in the United States. Due to my poor English skills, I often felt out of place among my peers. Consequently, throughout those three years, I spent most of my time with a few Chinese classmates. We were close and shared everything. Before graduating, we went hiking together, and standing on the mountaintop, I felt we would forever be closely connected.
However, after graduation, we went to different high schools. In reality, the somewhat naive friendship of middle school was easy to predict would not last. A year later, at a reunion, I suddenly realized that our thoughts had diverged greatly; apart from academics, we hardly had any common topics. Over time, I began to reflect on the conflicts between us, trying to understand the current differences.
I once detested farewells, thinking they mercilessly tore apart those beautiful times, and this made me feel sad. But gradually, I realized that separation is a part of growing up, especially important for us teenagers.
Reflecting on the eighth grade, I was unable to return to China due to the pandemic in 2020 and ended up staying with a white family for a month and a half. During that time, I remember doing nothing much beyond the daily routine of eating and sleeping, with only occasional studying. While living with this family, apart from online classes, they often took me hiking in nearby forests or walking at Dartmouth College next door. At home, I learned cooking with them and tried woodworking in their small workshop, which made life enjoyable and led me to fall in love with woodworking.
That month and a half flew by, and afterward, I almost never saw them again, especially after I moved to another state following middle school graduation. Occasionally, looking at the chopsticks I made at their home, I would reminisce about the times spent with them. Gradually, I realized that woodworking had taken on a deeper meaning for me: it could preserve those beautiful memories. Whenever I look at the items I've made, those past moments resurface. Sometimes, I fear the sadness that comes with parting and even neglects the joy of being with others. Woodworking taught me that there's no need to fear farewells.
There were unpleasant experiences, but against those beautiful memories, these discomforts seem trivial; they just represent the past. We should let the good times from the past be the driving force moving forward. Even if parting from friends or family was unpleasant, we should gradually let go of those negative emotions. It hasn't been easy coming this far; let the past remain in the past. No matter what the future holds, cherish each day now so that the current you lives without regrets. Looking back, though we may sigh at how swiftly time passes, our hearts still treasure those wonderful memories. Parting is not always painful.
Just like those chopsticks, even after four years, I can vividly recall the fun times making dumplings with my host family, as if it all happened just yesterday.
编辑有话说
随着年龄的增长，我们总会越来越多的面对离别，很感谢作者通过展现自己的心路历程提出这一点～也希望读者朋友们在过去、现在、未来的离别之中都可以从容地面对与接受～
本文原载于微信公众号「纸飞机计划」，发表于 2024-08-19。查看微信原文