I never saw my father home from work late or ill, nor did I ever see my father take a “night out with the boys.” He had no hobbies but just take care of his family.

    For 22 years, since I left home for college, my father called me every Sunday at 9:00am. He was interested in my life--how my family was doing. The calls even came when he and my mother in Australia, England or Florida.   

    Nine years ago when I bought my first house, my father, 67 years old, spent eight hours for three days, painting my house. He would not allow me to pay someone to have it done. All he asked was a glass of iced tea, and that I hold a paintbrush for him and talk to him. But I was too busy, and I could not take the time to hold the paintbrush, or talk to my father. 

    Five years ago, my 71-year-old father spent five hours putting together a swing set(秋千) for my daughter. Again, all he asked was that I get him a glass of iced tea, and talk to him. But again, I had laundry(要洗的衣服) to do, and the house to clean. The morning on Sunday, January 16, 1996, my father telephoned me as usual, this time he had seemed to have forgotten something we had discussed the week before .I had to get to church, and I cut the conversation short. 

    The call came at 4:40 a.m. That day my father was sent to hospital in Florida. I got on a plane immediately, and I vowed (发誓)that when I arrived, I would make up for the lost time, and have a nice long talk with him and really get to know him. I arrived in Florida at 1:00 a.m. but my father had passed away at 9:12 p.m. This time it was he who did not have time to talk, or time to wait for me. 

    In the years since his death I have learnt much about my father and even more about myself. As a father, he never asked me for anything but my time. Now he has all my attention, every single day. 

    Joe Read studied in this school for four years. When he finished school, he was already eighteen years old. And then his father said to him, “You finished school, and you are a good student. Now you may go to town and get a good job. They need some clever people to work in the office. The people there can get a lot of money now. If you stay at home, you can't get money from our family.” A few weeks later, Joe went to the office and asked for a job there. A man took him into a small room and gave him some questions on a piece of paper. Joe answered the questions quickly, and he gave the paper to the man. The man looked at the paper for a few minutes and then asked, “You were born on Sep. 23. But which year were you born in?” Joe answered, “Oh, every year.”

    Mr Henry worked in a middle school. He read a lot and could answer all the questions that his students asked.

    One Sunday morning, when he was dressing his little son, Jimmy, suddenly the little boy said, "May I ask you a question, Dad?"

    "Of course, you may, "answered Mr Henry.

    "Are you sure that you can answer it?"

    "Don't you believe me? I'm sure I can. "

    "Well." said Jimmy. "are there any holes in your socks? Look at them carefully, or you'll be wrong."

    It made Mr Henry pay some attention to Jimmy's question. He took off his socks and looked at them carefully. Then he said, "No, there are no holes in them."

    "How can you put your feet into them, then?" Jimmy said with a smile.

    Immediately(立刻)Mr Henry didn't know how to answer it. After a while he couldn't help laughing. Finally he understood that his son played a joke on him.

Today is Grandma's 85th birthday.

"I'm giving her a photo," says Brian."I took it with my new camera (照相机). {#blank#}1{#/blank#}" he asks his brother Joey.

"I don't know." says Joey."I don't have a camera. So I can't take a picture."

{#blank#}2{#/blank#}His mom is busy making something." Mom, what are you going to give Grandma?"

"{#blank#}3{#/blank#}" says Joey's mom.

"I can't make cakes. I don't know how." says Joey.

Joey goes to the living room. His dad is sewing (缝) a blanket(毯子)."{#blank#}4{#/blank#}" Dad said.

Joey then goes and sits next to Grandma on the sofa." Everyone has a gift for you, but not me. I can't take a photo, make a cake or sew. I don't have anything to give you." says Joey.

Grandma put her arm around Joey." {#blank#}5{#/blank#} That's what you can give me," says Grandma.

Joey smiles." Happy Birthday," he says.