It was my sister Sandra's first Christmas without her husband. Last Thursday, she was in the store 1  for an ideal card for her two sons and daughter. Time passed by quickly as she 2the many choices. She wanted a card that sent something 3to each of them, as she knew they would have a(n)  4  place in their heart this holiday season.

        Finally, she found the one that expressed the  5 feeling. 6 , a sharp pain pierced (穿透) her heart when she realized that the card was 7  “mom and dad”. She stood, holding it close for a long time, unable to move from the spot.  8 began to run over her cheeks.

       “Is there something I can do for you?” a 9  voice asked. She  10 to face a stranger, a woman. “Uh..oh...OH!” Sandra  11 , “I can't give this card to my children because…because my husband died and this is the12   card.”

        The stranger's face softened with  13  and love. She reached out and 14my sister into her arms, giving her unspoken 15  to cry in the protection of her embrace (拥抱). She 16  held my sister until her 17 returned.

        During her telling of this event I was feeling  18  that I hadn't been there. My sister needed me and a stranger had to do my 19  . “You know,” she went on, “a friend suggested that it was like meeting with an Angel.” My guilt 20   in an instant. My sister required an Angel, and I think that is exactly what she got.

    I did very badly at school. My headmaster thought I was 1 and when I was 14 he said, “You're never going to be 2 but a failure.”

    After five years of 3  jobs, I fell in love with a very nice middle-class girl. It was the best 4  that could have happened to me. I 5  to do something positive (积极地) with my life because I wanted to prove to 6  that what people said about me was 7 . Especially her mother, who had said to me, “Let's 8  it, you've failed at everything you've ever done.” So I tried hard with my 9  and went to college. My first novel (小说) 10  while I was at college.

    After college I taught during the 11  in high schools and attended evening classes at London University, where I got a 12  in history. I became a lecturer at a college and was thinking of 13  that job to write full time 14  I was offered a part-time job at Leeds University. I began to feel proud of myself — 15  was a working-class boy who'd 16  school early, now teaching at the university.

    My writing career (职业) took off when I discovered my own style. Now I'm rich and 17 , have been on TV, and met lots of film stars. 18  what does it mean? I 19  wish all the people that have put me down had 20 : “I believe in you. You'll succeed.”

Back to School

    I had always longed to get a degree, but raising a family had come first. Now with my last1in middle school, I thought, why not try to2something while I still had the opportunity. When I told my husband Bob my idea, a broad smile lit up his face. “If that's what you3 we'll make it work.”

    When we asked the kids for advice, they had mixed4Our daughter, already in college, thought it a great idea while John, in high school, was5that we might be in college at the same time. James, our youngest, wanted to know who would take him to football practice. I6that things would be a little different7 if everyone contributed, it wouldn't be difficult.

    The next day we drove to the community college and after a careful research, I chose to8in occupational therapy (康复理疗) . Days passed in excitement, enrolling in classes, shopping for9and attending orientation(入学指导). I felt like a kid again, but as the first day of classes drew near, I became10I was simply too old. People would laugh at me. Finally, with encouragement from my family and friends, I stuck with my11

    As I entered my classroom that first morning, I chose a seat in the back, hoping to12attention. For the rest of that day, I did what I saw the other students do, and gradually, my self-consciousness faded. I found the classes and assignments13 and I left that day feeling I might survive. By the end of the first week, I had made a few friends.

    Studying and keeping up with my duties at home was14No sooner had I begun to study than it was time to drive the kids to their activities. Math and science were15my strong subjects, so I devoted more time to those. When the first semester16 I had a 4.0 GPA and was placed on the Honor Roll.

    By the second year, Bob and the kids were all doing their17 and I had learned how to comfortably18my school and home life. My hard work paid off. I was awarded a scholarship and got the bachelor's degree.

    As I drove away on the last day of school, I thought about what a difference returning to19had made in my life. I looked much younger and I had more20and enthusiasm for life. I even became a therapist. It's never too late to try again.

    I grew up with two elder sisters. If I wasn't courteous(礼貌)to them, they'd fix me. So courtesy wasn't really 1 in my childhood home.

    My sisters 2 every chance to train me how to be a courteous3. They made me open doors for them or help them into their 4 at dinner.

    Years later I went away to college. The first time I walked into the library, I noticed a woman walking behind me and I 5 the door open for her.

    6 , she glared at me, asking loudly, “Do you think that because I'm a woman I'm not 7 enough to open a door for myself?” She slammed(摔)the door shut, leaving me astonished and 8. My face burned with 9. I decided 10 that there would be no more courtesy!

    As I stood there, another lady 11 the door, her arms 12 with textbooks. Instinctively(本能地)I  13  to open the door for her. 14 I realized what I had done. I prepared myself for shouts. However, I received a warm smile and a look of  15 .

    “Thanks!” she said brightly. “It's nice to see we still have a few gentlemen around here!”

    Of course, if I were REALLY a gentleman, I would have 16 to help with her books. Despite this, I appreciated the good 17 I got from performing all act of simple courtesy. To do otherwise would be to 18 my lifetime of training.

    Courtesy brings pleasant, refreshing light to our lives whether we are the giver, the 19 or just an interested observer. Courtesy doesn't 20 change our lives, but it can certainly transform the way we feel about life.

    A lady wanted a birthday gift from her husband. For many months she had liked a beautiful 1, and knowing her husband could 2 it, she told him that was all she wanted. On the morning of the 3 husband told her how 4 he was to have such a good wife, and how much he loved her. He 5 her beautiful gift package (盒). She opened it and 6 a Bible. 7, she raised her voice and said to her husband. "With all your money, you give me a Bible?" She was so 8 that she left him.

    Many years passed and the lady was very 9 in business. She owned two large companies. She 10 her husband was very old, and thought perhaps she should go to 11 him. But before she could, she 12 a letter telling her that he had died, and gave all of his possessions (财产) to her. She needed to come back 13 take care of things.

    When she arrived at his house, sadness 14 her heart. She saw the still new 15, just she had left it years before. With 16 she opened it and began to turn the pages. A ring 17 from Bible to the floor and a 18 could be seen. She picked it up and found it was the ring she wanted in those days. And on the card was the date of her birth, and the words "LOVE YOU ALWAYS".

    19 your gift is not packaged the way you want it, it's because it is better packaged! Always appreciate little things; they usually lead you to bigger things in the world! The best and most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen or even touched for they must be felt with the 20.