The moment I stepped off the plane after a writer's conference, my youngest son Jeremy greeted me and cried out, “Poster paper, Mama! I need poster paper. We're having a1at school.”

    Being a housewife and writer, I felt like no matter how hard I tried, I couldn't keep up with the needs of my 2. Back at home, Jeremy kept reminding me of the poster paper, but I just couldn't 3a minute for it. Gradually though, he began to speak more 4, almost 5he were talking to himself. “Maybe he'll just forget it, ”I thought hopefully. So I put Jeremy's request at the6of my long list of things to do.

    My third day home I managed to take fifteen minutes to type an article when a small 7fell across my paper. I knew who it would be before I8. Jeremy stood quietly watching me.“Oh, Lord, please don't let him say it again.” I knew what he wanted but I needed to9. I smiled10at Jeremy and kept typing. He11for a few more minutes,  then turned and walked away. I almost didn't hear his12. “Competition is over tomorrow, anyway.” The small figure walking out of my room, a silent voice spoke urgently to my heart, “Get him that paper—now!”

     “Let's go to get the paper, Jeremy.” He stopped, 13and looked at me in 14“You're going to the store just for me?” I15. Suddenly, a look of16shot across his face, erasing the disbelief. I don't think I'll ever17that moment. Later that day, he worked silently on the18all afternoon. And a few weeks later, a large yellow envelope came. Inside it was the Certificate of Award. So19was I that I didn't turned away from his20to get him some poster paper.

    A few years after Mom died, Dad handed me a plastic bag. That evening, I 1 the bag to find dozens of shells, each one2 in white tissue paper（纸巾）and having Mom's handwriting.

    The shells were pretty 3, but to Mom, they were evidence of her endlessly magical life and 4 me of the seashore trip with her. She was 61 when she 5 these shells, and already showing 6 of the lung disease. We knew something was 7 and Mom needed an adventure. She suggested a dinner and a movie. But two friends and I had bigger 8.

    Mom had been to the ocean only twice, but she 9 the seashore. Her kitchen was decorated（装饰） with souvenirs from those two trips. I told Mom that we would 10 for Jersey Shore. Mom was so 11 that she screamed and Amber, her dog was 12 to jump onto the floor.

    One of my favorite 13 on the road was a discussion about movies. Mom often got the titles wrong. “Ohhhh,” she said, “what was that movie about a teacher at the boys' school?” Before anyone could 14, she shouted, “The Dead Man's Poet!” I looked back and saw a back seat full of 15. “Mom,” I said. “You mean Dead poets Society?” “That's it!” Mom yelled. 16 filled the car.

    Once we got to Stone Harbor, she began to 17 the trip, greeting strangers and spending hours gathering shells. The morning we left, I found her photographing every inch of her bedroom. “I don't ever want to 18 this,” she said.

    For a long time, Mom's shells stayed 19 in a drawer. Last month, I 20 them again while searching for something else. I put them in a visible place as a reminder from a mother who never lost her sense of wonder.

The world always makes way for the dreamer.

    When I was twelve years old, my father took me to see Zig Zigler. I remember sitting in that dark hall listening to Mr. Zigler 1everyone's spirits up to the ceiling. I 2there feeling like I could do anything. When we got to the car, I turned to my father and said, “Dad, I want to 3 people feel like that.” My father asked me 4I meant. “I want to be a motivational(激发积极性的)speaker just like Mr. Zigler,” I replied.  A（An）5 was born.

    Recently, I began seeking my dream of motivating others. 6 a four-year relationship with Fortune 100 Company 7 as a sales-trainer and ending as a regional(地区的) sales manager, I left the company at the height of my 8. Many people were 9 that I would leave after earning a six-figure income(收入). And they wondered10I would risk everything for a dream.

    I made my 11 to start my own company and leave my worryingless position(职位)after 12a regional sales meeting. The vice-president of our company made a 13 that changed my life. He asked us, “If a god would offer you three wishes, what would they be?” After giving us a 14 to write down the three wishes, he then asked us, “Why do you need a 15 ?” I would never forget the power I felt at that moment. I realized that 16 I had accomplished in the past had prepared me for this moment. I was ready and didn't need a god's help to become a motivational speaker. A motivational speaker was 17 .

    Having made that decision, I was immediately18. One week after I gave notice, my husband was laid off (下岗) from his job, and now we had no 19. But I held fast to my dream. The wonder really began to happen. In a short time my husband found a better job. And I was able to book several 20 engagements（业务）with new customers. I discovered the unbelievable power of dreams.

    I arrived at my mother's home for our Monday family dinner. Mother was 1 quilt after quilt from the boxes, 2 showing me their beauties. She was preparing for a quilt show at the Elmhurst Church. When we began to 3and put them back into the boxes, I noticed something at the4of one box.

    “What is this?” I asked.

    “Oh?” Mom said, “That's Mama's quilt.”

    I 5 the quilt. It looked as if a group of school children had pieced it together; 6designs, 7 pictures, a winding line on the right.

    “Grandmother made this?” I said, 8 My grandmother was a master at making quilts. This 9 didn't look like any of the quilts she had made.

    “Yes, right before she died. I 10 it home with me last year and made some 11” she said. “I'm still 12 on it. See, this is what I've done so far.”

    I looked at it more 13 At the center of the quilt, she had sewn a piece

of14 with these words:  “My mother made many quilts. She didn't get all lines15. But I think this is beautiful. I want to see it 16. Her last quilt.”

    “Oh, this is so nice, Mom,” I said. It17to me that by completing my grandmother's quilt, my mother was honoring her own 18. I realized, too, that I held in my hands a family

    19. It started with the loving hands of one woman, and 20 with the loving hands of another.

    On a Friday 1, a poor young artist stood at the gate of the subway station, playing his violin. The music was 2, and many people 3 and put some money into the 4 of the young man.

    The next night, the young artist took out a large piece of5 and laid it on the ground. Then he began 6. The music sounded more pleasant. Some people gathered and they found the 7 on that paper. “Last night, a gentleman put a(n) 8 thing into my hat. Please come to get it back.”  When the people saw that, they felt very curious and began to

9 what it could be. After about half an hour, a man 10 there in a hurry and said, “It can't be true！You ...you ...”

    The young violinist asked, “Did you 11 something?”

    “Lottery (彩票).”the man answered12.

    The violinist took out a lottery ticket. “Is it？” he asked.

    The man was too13 to say a word ...George Sang 14 a lottery ticket a few days ago. The awards(奖)opened yesterday and he won $500,000. So lucky and excited did he feel that he 15 50 dollars and put it in the hat when hearing the music. However, the lottery ticket was also thrown into the hat without being noticed. The violinist found the lottery ticket. Thinking that the owner would 16 to look for it, he came back to where he was given the lottery ticket.

    Someone asked the violinist 17 he returned the lottery ticket to the man. He said, “18 I don't have much 19, I live happily; but if I lose 20 ,I won't be happy forever.”

    I still remember that the year when I started university. It was a very 1 time for me. Like many other new students I missed my mother's cooking and my friends, got quite homesick and 2 thought of leaving university and going home.

    The 3 me for many students was getting letters from home, and at first my mailbox was full. But 4 the letters gradually became fewer and finally the day came when I found my mailbox was 5. It made me feel quite miserable. Then one day while I was waiting for the postman I saw that I had a postcard in my box. Happily I sat down to read it, 6 that it was from one of my friends. 7 it was 8 of a young woman called Annie and her new baby. I took the card back to my room, put it into my desk drawer and 9 all about it.

    Several days later, I 10 another postcard. This time it was about Antonio, Annie's cousin. Soon later, another card came and then another, 11 full of interesting information about people I had 12 met. I began to really look forward to them,13 to see what the writer would 14 next. They made me feel 15 unhappy with my own life and I even began to smile. 16 while the cards 17 coming, I joined some societies and made some new friends. At last I was beginning to enjoy 18life. The postcards had made me feel happy and helped me begin a new life so I 19 all the cards and even now bring them out 20 I feel miserable.