I was going through my son Matthew's backpack when I saw an envelope in the bottom of it. Immediately, I knew it was a “thank you” card from one of his 1. Totally not necessary since my Christmas gifts to them are my way of saying, “Thank you”. I2I read it quickly. And then I stopped.

    I 3 the card and read it again. One word caught my attention. “I love working with our Matthew.” One word. Our. That one word 4 the meaning of the sentence for me. If she had written “I love working with Matthew”, I would know that she loves working with my son5 by adding that one word, “our”, it meant “I love working with this boy who 6 here, is accepted here and we all take responsibility for caring for.”

I 7 knew this, of course, seeing a blog I wrote previously, but it's always good to be8. In that blog post I mentioned ten reasons why his 9 is the right place for him. Since that blog we have had his IEP (Individualized Education Program) meeting, where I was 10 of that feeling again. In that meeting, someone 11 “Everyone loves Matthew. We all love Matthew”. And it was genuine and12. As we went around the room and the staff 13 us on information about Matthew, it was apparent that it went way beyond sharing what he is doing 14and behaviorally. Each person had a unique little 15 to tell about Matthew. Stories that show that they really know who Matthew is and that they 16 him.

    In fact just today I had written a note in his communication book that it was 17 Matthew to see new snow and not be able to play in it. Later in the day I got an email and a picture of Matthew 18 with snow in a big container inside the school.

As I was reflecting on this, I realized that as a family we are really lucky 19 school isn't the only place where they think of him as “our Matthew”. It 20 to other parts of our lives as well — our friends, our family, our neighborhood, and our church.

    A poor and old farmer lived in a village, who had a beautiful and young wife. The wife 1 wanted to enjoy life by spending lots of money on good clothes. Because of his old age and poor2, the farmer hardly left his house and did not earn more than what was3 So the wife often felt4 and the couple often 5each other.

    One day, a thief heard their quarrel and saw the wife 6 out of the house in tears. He followed her and then came up to her to 7“Dear, I've heard about your quarrel. You are very beautiful and young and old man can't satisfy your demands. I have a lot of8but no one to spend it. So, why not9the old man and follow me to the city? We will start a(n)10life together.” the thief said. The wife agreed to his11 That night, she gathered all her fine clothes and money and left with the thief for the 12

    Early the next morning, they reached a 13 The thief said to the woman, “Dear, please stay here on the bank 14 I swim to other side and15 a boat to get you across. Hand over your money to me, for seeing you16somebody may try to take 17away from you.”

    The woman handed over the money to the thief and18on the bank. The thief had19what he wanted so he didn't come back. Now, the woman had20her husband and everything.

Moral: Desire for more may let you lose what you have.

    As we slowly drove down the street on that cold December evening we spotted the porch（门廊）light."This1be the house."I told our "Positive Teens In Action" group with certainty.We2in front of an older home with the porch light shining.We gathered up our3books,walked up the steps,and4on the door.We heard a5voice from inside say,"Come in.The door is open."We opened the door.

    There in a rocking chair6an elderly woman with a big7on her face."I've been8you,"she said weakly. Ruth was one of our "Meals On Wheels" stops I had9.I had phoned her and told her about it.Going along with me were the10church members who11singing carols（颁歌）.We12Ruth the basket of delicious food the teens had prepared earlier that evening.Then I asked Ruth what carols she would like to13.Ruth was smiling cheerfully when she14singing each song.

    15we hugged Ruth good-bye she said to me with tears in her eyes,"The day you16I was still in bed.l had just finished17.I asked God if it would be possible to have some Christmas carolers come to my home and18this year.Thank you for being the19to my Christmas prayer."

    Wow,what an awesome20to have the opportunity to make Ruth quite content!

    Many years ago, when we first went to Canada, we were driving through Montana to Colorado with our two children, then aged 8 and 11. As it was getting1we started looking for a hotel, only to find out that it was

    2time in that part of the country, and all the hotels were3.

Finally, around 9 o'clock in the evening, we 4 at a gas station to fill up on gas. My husband asked for a

    5 book and told the woman at the counter that we were trying to find a hotel. She told us it would be 6. He tried for 15 more minutes. When he was 7, the woman, Linda, said she and her family

     8 nearby and would be happy if we spent the night at her home.

My husband was 9 at her offer of generosity (慷慨). She called her son to10us, since she had to

    11 at the gas station till midnight.

    When we reached their home, her husband12 us. He invited us to have coffee and chat while we 13 his wife. She came past 12 am. We asked if we could slip away in the morning so as not to14 them. They said we were now 15 and we would have to have breakfast with them.

    Next morning, we ate breakfast, and when we were 16, my husband asked if he could offer some17. They would not hear of it and18we were their guests. We kept in touch for many years, and invited them to our19, too. Over the years, we lost touch, but have 20 forgotten their kindness.

    A woman in her sixties lived alone in her little cottage with a pear tree at her door. She spent all her time taking care of the tree. But the children nearby drove her 1 by making fun of her. They would climb her tree and then run away with pears, 2 "Aunty Misery" at her.

    One evening, a passer-by asked to 3 for the night. Seeing that he had an 4 face, she let him in and gave him a nice 5. The next morning the stranger, actually a sorcerer (巫师), thanked her by granting (允准) her 6 that anyone who climbed up her tree 7 not be able to come back down until she 8 it.

    When the children came back to steal her 9, she had them stuck on the tree. They had to beg her long 10 she gave the tree permission to let 11 go. Aunty Misery was free from the 12 at last.

    One day another man 13 her door. This one did not look trustworthy to her, 14 she asked who he was. "I am Death. I've come to take you 15 me," said he.

    Thinking fast Aunty Misery said, "Fine, but I'd like to 16 some pears from my pear tree to remember the 17 it brought to me in this life. But I am too 18 to climb high to get the best fruit. Will you be so 19 as to do it for me?" With a deep sigh, Mr. Death climbed up the tree 20 and was immediately stuck to it. No matter how much he warned or begged, Aunty Misery would not allow the tree to let Death go.

    Long long time ago, in a small and distant 1, there was a place known2 the House of 1000 Mirrors. A small, happy little dog learned of this place and 3 to visit it. When he arrived, he 4 happily up the stairs to the doorway of the house. He looked through the doorway with his ears lifted high and his tail 5 as fast as it could. To his great 6, he found himself staring at 1000 other 7 little dogs with their tails wagging just as fast as his. He smiled a great smile, and was 8 with 1000 great smiles just as warm and friendly. As he 9 the House, he thought to himself: This is a10 place. I will come back and visit it often."

    In the same village, 11 little dog, who was not quite as happy as the first one, was determined to visit the house. He 12 climbed the stairs and 13 his head low as he looked into the door. 14 he saw the 1000 unfriendly looking dogs staring back at him, he growled at them and was 15 to see 1000 little dogs growling back at him. As he left, he thought to himself, "That is a terrible place, and I will 16 go back there again."

    All the faces in the world are 17. When you smile at the world the whole world will 18 at you, and vice verse (反之亦然). 19, it is you who can choose to be happy or to be upset. And what kinds of reflections (思考) do you see in the 20 of the people you meet?