When my daughter, Sophie, was admitted to a college we were very happy, but a little worried about becoming empty nesters(空巢老人). I knew I had to do something, starting with the summer before she was away from home.

    Sophie had a pack of colourful blouses. I knew she wouldn't wear them anymore, so I decided to make a quilt(被子) out of them. I tried to work on the quilt when Sophie 1 – which turned out to be often. She was very busy with her friends. Even when she was at home, her door was shut more than usual. This made me feel a bit hurt.2 we didn't have much time together before she went to college.

When we arrived at the college, a wave of emotion flooded me. Sophie saw it in my face. She took a beautiful 3 from her bag. "I made this for you, Mom," she said. Then I knew why she had been staying behind a 4door that summer. It was an album of photographs recording the life of our family over the last 17 years.

    I broke into tears. Some of it was sadness at having to let her go, but some of it was 5I knew that our connection was more 6 than ever as we would always be connected by the strongest link, the love that went into every stitch(针脚) of her quilt and every photo in my album.

In Sophie's dormitory room I unfolded the quilt on her bed. For a moment she was speechless. Then she threw her arms around me. "Mom, I love you," she said. One of her new friends was calling her outside. Sophie turned, and I let her go.

    Ever since I was ten years old, I have decided to do everything on my own though I couldn't really understand them.

    When I was young , I always 1 the summer holiday with my grandfather at the mountain farm in Western Norway (挪威). 2 my grandfather had to work all day himself, he could spare some time for me.

    One day my grandfather said to me, "Come. I have a toy boat for you." I followed him to a workroom 3. However, nothing like that was there 4 a block of wood. "Is that the boat…?" I asked curiously. "No one can give you what you do for 5. With your own hands, you'll make it out of wood. Then it will be the 6 boat in your heart." Finally, I finished it with his help. Seeing the boat 7 in the lake Storvassdal, I felt 8 and thought everything nice around me.

    Good times don't last long. I had to 9 to America. Feeling sad, I hid my boat under a big rock at Storvassdal. Moreover, I didn't know that was the 10 time I saw my grandfather.

    Years later, I returned to the mountain farm with my parents and children. I searched for my boat, but 11. I was about to 12 when I touched something different under a big rock. Luckily, I found the boat which 13 grandfather and me. Holding it, I felt my grandfather was there and we 14 were together again.

    As time went by, each time I held the boat, I carved (刻) the year. My grandfather seemed 15. I went on the last trip to the farm with my grandchildren. High in the mountain, I hope they would understand the importance of the boat and its simple sign of self-reliance (自立).

    At the age of 16, Einstein failed in several exams because he often played with some bad kids. One weekend morning, Einstein carried a fishing net and prepared to go fishing with those 1, his father stopped him and said to him calmly," Einstein, you were spending too much time 2 , so you failed in the exams. I'm 3 about your future with your mother."

    "What are you worrying about? Jack and Robert also 4, but they went fishing as usual."

    "My boy, you can't think so," Looking at Einstein, his father said lovingly, "There is a 5 in our hometown. I hope you can listen to it carefully."

    "There were two cats playing on the roof. 6, they fell into the chimney（烟囱）.When they climbed out of the chimney, one cat's face was dirty 7 the other's face was clean. Seeing the dirty—faced cat, the clean—faced one thought its own face was also dirty, so it quickly ran to the riverside and washed its 8. The dirty—faced cat saw the clean—faced one, thinking its own face was clean as well, so it walked happily in the street."

    "Einstein, 9 can be your mirror(镜子). Only you are your own mirror. Some of the kids are not strict with themselves. If you take them to be your mirror, even a 10 person may become stupid." Hearing this, Einstein was ashamed and lay down his fishing rod and returned to his small room. Since then, Einstein's face turned red. He put down his fishing net and returned to his small room.

    After that, Einstein often took himself as a mirror to be 11 with himself and kept telling himself." I am special, so I needn't be as common as others." This was why Einstein 12 in his career.

    1,000 people have 1,000 kinds of wishes in life. Different wishes will produce different 13 about life. You can learn from other people, but you can 14 follow others completely.

    You must see yourself clearly, and know what you want to get. Your future doesn't 15 how others act, but on what you are going to act.