It was Mother's Day and I was shopping at the local supermarket with my five-year-old son,Tenyson.As we were1,we realized that only minutes earlier an2woman had fallen over at the entrance and hit her head on the ground3was with her, but there was blood everywhere and the woman was embarrassed and clearly in shock4,a lot of people stopped to help out.5we were walking towards the scene, Tenyson became very6about what had happened to the elderly couple. He7to me,“Mom, it's not much fun falling over in front of8”Seeing that there was a flower stall(摊位)at the front of the supermarket, he added, “Why shouldn't we9the lady a flower? It will make her feel better.”I was10that he'd come up with this11idea. So we went over and told the flower seller12we wanted.“Just take it,”she replied.“I13take your money for such a wonderful14”

    By now medical staff had arrived, and were15the injured woman. We gave the flower to the woman's husband and I told him it was16my son. At that, the old man started crying and said,“Thank you very much.”He then turned to me,“You have a17son. Happy Mother's Day to you.”

    The man bent down and gave his wife the flower, telling her who it was from18being badly hurt,the old lady looked up at Tenyson with19in her eyes and gave him a little20

    When my aunt, Holly, was 15 years old, she suffered from MS, a disease that attacks the central nervous system. What is scary is that it is not clear what causes MS or when it will1.When it first struck Holly, she had just finished her political science degree and held an admirable2.Her leg weakened, and she3that she felt like she was a little child again, relearning to4. We kept our fingers crossed so that by5her legs regularly, she could return to normal. But soon, she lost both her job and her long-time boyfriend.

    The girl6happy and active, became moody and quiet7to go out because her hands8so much when she held anything. It is a completely9feeling to watch a healthy relative take a turn for the10 But we, the whole extended family, all held on11Holly's illness. Instead of going golfing every week, Grand father worked around the house. Grandmother, almost 70, continued to work to help pay12bills. My parents remained13all the time through my aunt's worst mood changes. Even my sister and I were there just for her14.

    The hardest part was the feeling that Holly was unable to15anything we did for her, complaining about everything and everybody. Finally came the day when we saw her16when we all went to cheer her on in the annual MS walkathon(a walk that MS patients take to recover). Despite the freezing wind, I17the rest of my family. When the walk was over, Holly 18introduced my sister and me to her friends who had come along to support her, I was able to see how just a little care can mean more than physical 19.

    Most importantly, I have learned through this whole20with my family that, whatever we have to suffer, we have a wonderful support group around us that will always catch us before any of us falls.

    In 1973, I was teaching elementary school. Each day,27kids1“The Thinking Laboratory.” That was the 2 students voted for after deciding that “Room 104” was too3.

    Freddy was an average4,but not an average person .He had the rare balance of fun and compassion（同情）.He would5 the loudest over fun and be the saddest over anyone's6.

    Before the school year7,I gave the kids a special 8, T-shirts with the words “Verbs Are Your9” on them. I had advised the kids that while verbs（动词）may seem dull ,most of the10 things they do throughout their lives will be verbs.

    Through the years, I'd run into former students who would provide 11 on old classmates. I learned that Freddy did several jobs after his 12 from high school and remained the same 13 person I met forty years before .Once, while working overnight at a store, he let a homeless man 14in his truck. Another time ,he 15a friend money to buy a house .

    Just last year, I was16 a workshop when someone knocked at the classroom door. A woman17 the interruption and handed me an envelope. I stopped teaching and 18 it up. Inside were the “Verbs” shirt and a 19 from Freddy's mother. “Freddy passed away on Thanksgiving. He wanted you to have this.”

    I told the story  to the class. As sad as it was, I couldn't help smiling. Although Freddy was taken from us, we all20something from Freddy.

    Mr. Jackson was blind from birth. He owned a fruit 1 on a very busy street. 2 he was visually disabled, he ran his business pretty handsomely. He could see nothing and he could only 3 the things within his reach. 4 ， he was able to handle it and was content with everything he had.

    One day his son came to him. He told Mr. Jackson in 5 that he read in the newspaper of a 6 who could operate on his eyes and allow him to see. The father and son traveled to the doctor and paid for the 7.

    After the operation, the doctor asked Mr. Jackson，“What is the first thing you are 8 to see when I take the bandages off？”He replied, “I really want to see my beautiful 9 on my stand！”

    The doctor and the son 10 Mr. Jackson down to the busy street where his fruit stand had been located for so many years. The doctor 11 unwrapped the bandages 12 he could lay his eyes on the beautiful fruit! Mr. Jackson was so full of 13 that he could finally see his life's work—taking care of his fruit! After a few hours of 14 his beautiful fruit stand, he looked down the street both ways and saw there were quite a few fruit stands in both directions. He looked 15 the street and saw many other fruit stands. He spent so much time looking at other people's fruit stands and 16 the competition that soon his own business17.

    From Mr. Jackson's failure, we should know that everyone is a 18 individual with different fingerprints, DNA and thinking. What we need to do is just be ourselves and 19 everyone else to be who they are. Mind our own business and we should never be afraid of the 20.

    A young girl is smiling at me from a picture frame on my desk as I write this. She is my child I 1 sponsored from the Philippines. Even though I have never met her in person, she has found a 2 place in my heart. It doesn't 3me much to help her, about a dollar a day.4, millions of people in this world live on less. The 5 that helping her gives me, however, is beyond 6. It connects me to her, to life,7 to love.

    I can still 8 the first time that I decided to help a child overseas. It was many years ago. I was only a teenager myself and had a little extra 9 each month. I didn't feel like 10 anything, though. We had 11 everything we had in a house fire a few years before.12 that had taught me a lot. I had learned that I didn't need a lot of “stuff” to be 13. I had also read a lot about the 14 of children in poor countries around the world. It seemed like a far better thing then to give what I could to help them. With my Mom's love and 15, I soon found a few organizations like Children International that were 16 others around the world. It felt so good being able to reach out and help another 17. It felt so good being able to make even one life better. I could feel the compassion and 18 growing within me and beginning to change me.

    Empathy (同情) does change us. It helps us to 19, to be kind, and to make this world a 20place.

    As Mr. Phillips was in a hurry to reach home, he 1 buying some bananas from an old lady on the street.

    He asked the 2 . She said $7 per kg. He told her the store where he usually bought from gave them for $5 per kg, and asked if she could sell at the 3 price. The old lady said $ 6 per kg was the best price she could offer. So Mr. Phillips left in his car for the 4 grocery shop.

    In the shop, he was 5 to be told the price had been 6 to $10 per kg. And they 7 to offer a better price, saying, "We don't bargain." Mr. Phillips felt 8 with that flat attitude. He put those bananas 9 and went back to the old lady. She recognized him 10 , "Sir, I can't match that price. I won't be able to earn any 11 . "

    Mr. Phillips said, "Don't 12 the price. I will pay you $10 per kg! Now, give me 2 kg." The lady packed the bananas saying, "I will take $ 7 per kg. I appreciate your 13 . My husband used to own a fruit shop 14 he got very sick. We had to 15 his shop to cover his medical bills but he didn't survive. Now to support myself I am trying to sell what I can 16 to buy." Mr. Phillips gave her $100 extra, saying, "From tomorrow on I will only buy bananas from you. Take this as a (an) 17 payment. You can earn more 18 you have more choices of fruits to sell."

    Later Mr. Phillips 19 his colleagues to buy fruits from the lady and she made a better living. Mr. Phillips was happy to help someone who works hard to earn and has a 20 for it.