I was invited to attend a presentation at the Kentucky School. That evening I found gratitude had amazing1 to change our attitude and our life.

    The young musician Mr. Patrick was 2onto the stage in his wheelchair and began to play the piano. His fingers danced across the keys3 he made beautiful music. He then began to sing as he played, and it was wonderful. But what shocked me most was his4smile.

    Patrick was born with no eyes and an illness in the legs, which5him lame for life. However, as a child, he was6with artificial eyes and placed in a wheelchair. Before his first birthday, he discovered the piano. When his mom hit any7on the piano, and within one or two tries, he′d8 By his second birthday, he was playing “ Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star”. His father was9 “We might not play baseball, but we can play music together.”

    When Patrick was at the University of Louisville, his father attended 10with him. He was also a part of the 214-member marching band！He was a blind, wheelchair-bound trumpet player; and he and his father did it together. His father11the night shift（夜班）in order to accompany his daytime band practice. Patrick says, “My dad′s my12”

    But even 13his unbelievable musical talent, it was Patrick′s “attitude of gratitude” that14my soul. On the stage, between songs, he talked to the audience about his life and about 15blessed he was with a great father. When his performance was over, Patrick and his father were on the stage together. The crowd 16 to their feet and cheered for over five minutes.

    We all face misfortune in our lives.17it′s not the hardship but how we18to it that will determine the joy and happiness in our lives. During19times, do we spend too much time feeling sorry for ourselves,20can we, with gratitude, learn how to dance in the rain？

    Paen Long has had a dream ever since he saw a plane for the first time at the age of six. His dream was to 1 a plane. Last year, the 30-year-old man started building his plane 2. “I was afraid that people would 3 me, so sometimes I worked at night,” he said. It was a long time 4 he put his dream into practice. Paen Long tried to build his own plane, using the money he had 5 from running his own garage. He has spent three years 6 YouTube videos in order to 7 how to make a plane.

    It took him a year to build his plane, using mostly recycled materials. The plane's first 8 came at 3 pm on 8th, March. Local villagers gathered excitedly to watch the plane fly. 9, the plane only got 50 m in the air before crashing (撞击) to the 10. “When all people were looking at me, I felt very 11,” he said.

    Although the first try 12, Paen Long remains 13. His next project is to build a seaplane. Paen Long thinks the plane will cost over $10,000. “I never feel 14 for spending all my money building a plane,” he said.

    His wife, Hing Muoyheng, 15 about her husband, especially as they have two young sons. However, she has no 16. “I don't know how planes work and he doesn't have any 17 to help him. He can only search for information himself,” she said. “I tried to ask him to 18 a few times because I was afraid, but he said he wouldn't 19, so I have to support his 20.”

    It was the hottest day of the summer. I was driving along County Route 2, which went through the Sonoran Desert. Then I saw that a car had 1 down up ahead. It was the first car I'd seen in about half an hour. In the2, a few hundred feet ahead of the car, I saw a stooped(曲背的) figure 3 with a gas can in his hands. "There was nothing around for miles. There was no way this person going to 4it to the nearest town, which was a good twenty miles away, in this desert heat.

    I'd always been told to stay away from 5, but I thought if there ever was a time to do a good deed, this was it. Besides, 6I neared the figure, I saw an elderly man. I thought there was little7that he'd do me any harm. Therefore, I slowed down and pulled over. "Need a 8?" I asked.

    Now that I could see him clearly, it was 9 the old man was already in trouble. He'd only walked a hundred yards or so, and he looked as if he was going to pass out any moment. “I'd be most grateful, young lady, if you could help me get to a gas station,” he said slowly. “I seem to be out of petroleum.”

    "No problem," I replied.

    He 10 slowly into the car and kept silent for a few minutes while his body temperature normalized. I offered him a bottle of iced soda water. He accepted it 11. As we got close to the gas station, I asked him if he would like a ride back to his12. "I know it is 13your way," he paused. "And just where is your home, young lady?"

    "Elmwood," I replied, "And my name is Emily. Emily Hampton. "

    "You're a very kind lady, Ms. Hampton. My name is Edward Gilliam," said Edward.

    Edward 14 up his gas can. Then I drove him back to his car and helped him pour the petrol into his tank(邮箱). After that I followed him back into 15just to make sure he was OK. At the gas station, we waved goodbye.

    The next morning, the doorbell rang. I came down the stairs and saw a giant bouquet of flowers with small note16.

    "Dearest Emily, thank you for your17yesterday. You just might have saved my life. You 18an old man of how much beauty there is in this world. "

    I was called into the principal's office but I had no idea what I had done wrong. When I arrived, my brother Brian was there. He had been crying. Brian grabbed my hand and said, Amanda has been in a car1."

    Every inch of my body went2 as I realized what he had said. My sister was injured. One question sounded over and over in my head3 could this have happened？ Even though she was only 17, Amanda was one of the4 drivers I knew. I felt shocked and terrified.

    My brother and I left immediately5 the hospital my sister was in. When we arrived, my sister's face was6 from the eyebrows up and you could see blood everywhere. She was7 to several machines. My mom and dad stood at her side crying.

    My sister looked8 at me with blood﹣filled eyes. In her eyes, where I expected to see9, I saw strength. She said to me, "I love you, Renee. I suddenly realized how10 I tell my sister I love her. I tried to11 her, but she wasn't listening any more,12 some doctors were taking her away to the x﹣ray room.

    As they wheeled her away I wanted to scream out, but I couldn't. I couldn't move, speak or even cry13she was around the comer. Then the tears came.

    Though everyone kept telling me she would be all right, something made me14. Every moment that passed allowed the15 in my mind to grow bigger. Finally, the doctor walked down the hall and stood quietly in front of us. It was then that the long﹣awaited16 came. Amanda was going to be okay.

    My heart leaped as I realized I still had a sister. She would need a lot of plastic surgery （整容手术）, but she was 17.

    A year later,18 my sister and I quarrel sometimes, every time I see her face and spot the large scar that stretches across it, I remember to tell her that I19 her. I remember when I almost didn't have the20 to tell her again how much I love her.

    I will never forget the year when I was about twelve years old. My mother told us that we would not be1Christmas gifts because there was not enough money. I felt sad and thought, "What would I say when the other kids asked what I'd2?" Just when I started to3that there would not be a Christmas that year, three women4at our house with gifts for all of us. For me they brought a doll. I felt such a sense of5that I would no longer have to be embarrassed when I returned to school. I wasn't6. Somebody had thought7of me to bring me a gift.

    Years later, when I stood in the kitchen of my new house, thinking how I wanted to make my8Christmas there special and memorable, I 9remembered the women's visit. I decided that I wanted to create that same feeling of10for as many children as I could possibly reach.

    So I11a plan and gathered forty people from my company to help. We gathered about 125 orphans(孤儿) at the Christmas party. For every child, we wrapped colorful packages filled with toys, clothes, and school supplies, 12with a child's name. We wanted all of them to know they were13. Before I called out their names and handed them their gifts, I14them that they couldn't open their presents15every child had come forward. Finally the16they had been waiting for came as I called out, "One, two, three. Open your presents! " As the children opened their packages, their faces beamed and their bright smiles17up the room. The18in the room was obvious, and19wasn't just about toys. It was a feeling—the feeling I knew20that Christmas so long ago when the women came to visit. I wasn't forgotten. Somebody thought of me. I matter.

    Sarah, a classical dancer from India, had to have her right leg cut after a car accident. She was also 1 on her career（事业） road.

    Though the accident brought her bright career to a 2, she didn't give up. In the 3 months that followed, Sarah met a doctor who developed an artificial (人造的) 4 made from rubber filled with sponge (海绵). So 5 she wanted to go back to 6 after she had been fitted with an artificial leg. Sarah knew that she believed in 7and could realize her dream, 8 she began her courageous journey back to the world of dancing ­ 9to balance, bend, stretch, walk, turn, twist and twirl.

    After every public recital (个人表演), she 10 ask her dad about her performance. "You 11 have a long way to go" was the answer she used to get 12. In January 1984, Sarah made a historic13by giving a public recital in Bombay. She performed in such a great manner that it 14everyone to tears and this 15 pushed her to the number one position again. That evening when she asked her dad the 16question, he didn't say anything. He just touched her feet as a praise.

    Sarah's comeback was 17 moving that a film producer 18 to make the story into a hit film. When someone asked Sarah how she had 19 to dance again, she said quite simply, "YOU DON'T NEED FEET TO DANCE." 20is impossible in this world. If you have the will to win, you can achieve anything.