父母恩，金子心

by Jesse Hunter

The art of parenting is usually learned the hard way. There are plenty of informative guides out there， covering seemingly any and all possible parental predicaments one might encounter. But ask any parent and theyll tell you， no amount of planning prepares you for the emotional onslaught to come.

My newlywed wife and I plan on having children in the next few years. Ive always dreamt of being a dad， which goes beyond the mere planting of my seed. I may have come from my fathers genetic material， but many of my most positive traits come from my“Godfather”， who helped my mom raise me through thick and thin， out of the goodness of his heart.

In The Second-Hardest Job， youll see what its like to be a stepparent， tackling vicious stereotypes while doing one of the most thankless jobs in the world； one many unappreciated people take on， not because they are required to （since theyre not）， but out of sheer love.

Stepparents arent the only ones who have it rough. At least my mom had help when she needed it. In What Is It Like to Be a Single Father， youll hear about all the obstacles one young widower faced， while simply trying to give his son a better life （or just a nice day at the park）.

Can you imagine anything more difficult than caring for an infant whose fatal fate is sealed？ For a heart wrenching story of patience and persistence， even under the most futile circumstances， read Notes From a Dragon Mom. （Warning： tears likely to be shed.）

Woah！ Parenting seems scary. Countless fears lay dormant （for now） in my heart， but I will one day enter into parenthood with my eyes and heart wide open， ready for all the happiness and heartache to come.

为人父母之道，往往要历经艰难困苦才能习得。坊间充斥着大量的有用指引，似乎涵盖了每个为人父母者会遇到的所有困境。但若是随机问一位家长，他们会告诉你，再多的计划也无法让你在即将到来的情感冲击中做好准备。

我和新婚妻子计划过几年才生孩子。我一直梦想当上爸爸，这可不仅仅是播下种子这么简单。我可能源自我父亲的基因物质，但我的大部分优秀品质却来自我的“教父”，他出自真心，协助我妈妈含辛茹苦地把我抚养成人。

在《一位继母的欢乐与哀愁》一文中，你将看到当一名继母是怎样的状况：做着世界上其中一份最不讨好的工作，处理各种不同的问题；担起这份工作的人多不被人看好，不是因为他们必须得这么做（他们并不需要），而是出于纯粹的爱。

继父母并非唯一处境艰难的人群。至少我的妈妈有需要的时候还是能获得帮助的。在《单身父亲血泪史》一文中，你将听说到所有年轻鳏夫将要面对的障碍，而他只不过是想尽量让儿子过上更好的生活（或者只是在公园过上美好的一天）而已。

你能想象得到还有比照顾一个命不久存的幼儿更艰难的事吗？想看这个关于耐性和坚持（甚至是在最徒劳无获的情况下）的揪心故事，请读《“龙妈妈”的哀歌》一文。（提醒一下：请备好纸巾。）

哇！为人父母看起来太吓人了。无数的恐惧（此刻）潜藏于我心，但有一天，我将会张开眼睛，敞开心扉，加入到为人父母之列，准备迎接即将到来的一切欢乐与心伤。