Another person's enthusiasm was what set me moving toward the success I have achieved. That person was my stepmother.

    I was nine years old when she entered our home in rural Virginia. My father1me to her with these words:“I would like you to meet the fellow who is2for being the worst boy in this county and will probably start throwing rocks at you no 3than tomorrow morning.”

    My stepmother walked over to me, 4my head slightly upward, and looked me right in the eye. Then she looked at my father and replied, “You are 5.This is not the worst boy at all, 6the smartest one who hasn't yet found an outlet（释放的途径）for his enthusiasm.”

    That statement began a(n) 7between us. No one had ever called me smart, My family and neighbors had built me up in my 8   as a bad boy. My stepmother changed all that.

    She changed many things. She 9my father to go to a dental school, from which he graduated with honors. She moved our family into the county seat, where my father's career could be more 10and my brother and I could be better11.

    When I turned fourteen, she bought me a secondhand12and told me that she believed that I could become a writer. I knew her ernthusiasm,I13it had already improved our lives. I accepted her 14and began to write for local newspapers. I was doing the same kind of15 that great day I went to interview Andrew Carnegie and received the task which became my life's work later. I wasn't the 16beneficiary (受益者).My father became the 17man in town. My brother and stepbrothers became a physician, a dentist, a lawyer, and a college president.

    What power 18 has! When that power is released to support the certainty of one's purpose and is 19strengthened by faith, it becomes an irresistible（不可抗拒的）force which poverty and temporary defeat can never 20.

    You can communicate that power to anyone who needs it. This is probably the greatest work you can do with your enthusiasm.

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.

    The boys had been shopping all morning and still weren't done. I1standing in the store.

    Just nine days before 2 Caitlin's house had burned to the ground. But Caitlin and her family all3 escaped.

    All the family 4 was what they were wearing and each other. The school was replacing their books and uniforms and now, two days after the 5all the girls in Caitlin's class were taking her shopping for clothes and shoes. The boys were shopping for6 like scarves, socks and hair ties, all the things they don't even 7

    After another hour, I had finished my8 and had helped the boys 9everything they wanted to get for Caitlin.

    When we got home, my brother brought everything he had10 for Caitlin to my room to make sure I thought she'd 11 everything before he12 them.

"I think she'll love everything," I said, and he smiled his big smile. I hugged him13 he tried to push me away. I was so14of him at that moment. He loves giving and making others 15 He's an honest kid who sees only the good in the world. I used to wonder how he could 16 see the good when there was so much bad, but now I 17why there is so much good18 him.

    He selflessly gave up all his 19for Caitlin. He had, through this act of a pure heart, got the true20 of Christmas.

    In December 2016, Jordan Kahana was driving along a highway in Arizona when he 1 two small dogs on the side of the road. The puppies were eight weeks old. Kahana was on his 2 to Colorado to celebrate the beginning of the New Year with friends, but he stopped and rushed the 3 abandoned（被抛弃的）dogs to the animal hospital. After that, Kahana decided to 4 them.

    Kahana 5 his job as a digital director in 2017 to travel more. 6 he rescued the pups he was planning on 7 full time. He had bought a one-way ticket to Bali in November, to leave that upcoming March. After rescuing the pups, however, his plans took a bit of a 8. But still, the 9 was to travel. So 10 flying for international adventures, he decided road trips would be their thing!

    11 then, the 30-year-old man has traveled about 32,000 miles with the two 12pups, who he named Sedona and Zeus. So far, the three have been to 35 states together and hiked through 13 national parks. They've even visited Canada. Kahana posts his travels on his 14 Instagram account viewed by hundreds of thousands.

    When asked how he 15 Sedona's and Zeus' names, Kahana said that he first found the dogs when he was 16 from Sedona, Arizona to Page, Arizona.He thought Sedona was a 17 name for the female puppy and Zeus, which sounds a good name for a 18 dog, was taken from Greek Mythology.

    “I was 19 forced to become a morning person,” Kahana said. “The pups, without 20, wake me up around 6:30 in the morning to go out for a walk.”

    This is the softest and merriest laughter of the year. Maria and Pit Sanders didn't1 their son's teachers. Instead, they decided to present them with 2 for Christmas.

    Maria and Pit Sanders say,“Their son,14-year-old Jake, is that3 kid who always has something to say in class.” So, when the parents wanted to say thanks to Jake's teachers for 4 him, Maria Sanders said they had to do something 5.

    “How many coffee cups does a teacher6,” she said.“But who doesn't need a glass of wine after 7 a kid like mine?” With help from a friend's printing company, the Sanders turned some bottles of wine into a truly 8 holiday gift for their son's teachers.

    The label features a picture of a9 Jake and reads,“Our Child Might Be The Reason Why You 10 So Enjoy This Bottle On Us.” The teachers 11the wine,“that's all I'm going to say,” Maria Sanders said.“None of the 12 were shocked by it.”

    Word about the gift spread13 after Jake's older brother, DJ, posted a photo on Twitter and received more than 10,000 likes: My parents always get our elementary school teachers a 14 around Christmas. It is very 15 of them to present something small like a candle or flower to say thank you. This year they got them bottles of wine and 16 the labels with their own with my smiling brother on them… Happy 17!

    Jake insisted he's not18 by the gift. In fact, he helped 19 the wine personally.“I thought it was 20,” he added.

    It was December 22. The bitter wind swept the countless snowflakes across my front yard. My dad was there sweeping the 1. His nose was red as a cherry. With every breath he took, a white puff 2 into the air.

    Inside, my mother was 3 the last of the boxes. As I entered the front door, the 4 that after today I wouldn't enter through that door 5 again burned a hole in my stomach. I picked up my dog and sat Indian style with him in my lap on the 6, wooden floor. I had no 7 but to sit on the floor, for there was no longer any furniture occupying my house. I sat there in a daze (恍惚), just 8. There was no reason for my parents to make me, a once 912-year-old kid, 10. I had two best friends right across the street; I did well in school and I always kept my room clean. 11, this was "my house". By no means did I want a couple of 12 living here. These recurring (重复) thoughts danced around in my mind and I couldn't find a(n) 13.

    Out of the front window I could see the orange top of a truck pulling in the cleaned driveway and I knew it was the other U-Haul. Instantly three men came 14through the back door like World War III was starting.

    I watched 15 as the men, my mother and my dad loaded the truck. My dog even winced(畏缩)as he stared out of the window. I wondered if he was 16, too, or if he just wished to play outside in the snow.

    My mum came in, looking solemn(凝重)for my sake, I imagined. She turned 17 the overhead light, put the 18 in my arm and followed me out of the back door. A totally 19 feeling filled my inside. For the first time in my life, I wondered what 20would be to me tomorrow.