A woman in a（n）1suit stepped in．"Hi, Libby．" she said．Wow, what a 2! The first time she came to the cafe two years ago, she had no money to pay. 3many customers, she volunteered to wash dishes and 4. Look at her now: confident and hopeful. Wasn't this what we'd hoped for?

    In 2003, we'd 5this crazy dream: start a restaurant with a donation box instead of a cash register（收款台). Right away we hit hurdles（阻碍) " There is no such thing as a 6 lunch," one potential landlord（房东）sniffed. I met brokers, bankers and suppliers, only to watch them 7, shaking their heads. No bank would lend us the money to open a restaurant with no 8. The only fund we could get was our individual retirement account. 9we rented space from a landlord on Colfax Street．We put flyers (传单) around the neighborhood, asked friends to 10 the word, and held our breath．

    Word traveled fast, 11stories in the papers and on TV. Soon we had more than 50customers a day．A few ate without paying or 12 an hour of work. But most gave what they could, 13it was just a dollar. Those with money gave, and then more．One of our customers left a 14for 500 dollars. Another bought 1000 dollars in gift certificates.  15another donated a truck so we could transport 16from suppliers．

People came here partly for what our cafe17 —SAME: So A11 May Eat, We 18everyone with dignity (尊严). We hoped to develop a sense of community—so that we might19 one another. The woman in business suit was one of them. Our20 to open the cafe was worth it.

    A few days ago my family and I were out for an evening walk. As we headed home, dark 1 started rolling in and we knew we probably wouldn't make it back without getting wet. 2 enough, the rain started falling just as we3our neighborhood. We all 4 down the street and into the house but when we got there I noticed that one of my sons was5I went back out in the rain and found him  6 in an irregular pattern in front of the house. His face was one of 7as he seemed to be going in circles. This is my child that usually hates getting 8.

    I shouted to him, “What are you doing?!!”

    “I hate getting wet!” he 9 back.

    “Then why are you running around in the 10 ? Hurry inside!”

    “I'm trying to but I have to 11 the rain drops!”

    He was getting more wet than any of the rest of us12 he was trying to avoid the raindrops. As I went and put him 13 my arm and walked him inside, I realized that there is a good14in this story.

    How often do you15life “avoiding the raindrops”? How often do you get so worried about the little 16that might happen, the failures that you miss out on the great 17 that you could be having? We can spend all of our time running around in circles trying not to fail or we can accept that failure is going to come and 18forward anyway. Any happy and successful person will tell you that the road to success is 19with failures.

    But every time you fail, you learn. Every time you learn, you improve. The more you improve, the more20 you will be.

    A magazine article told about a woman in rural Florida who was recovering from a lengthy illness. She enjoyed sitting on her front porch in her1and, on this day, she watched her son 2his car. He raised it on blocks of wood, removed the tires and3on his back underneath the vehicle.

    4there was a loud crack and the car lurched (突然向一侧倾斜)to one side, pinning the young man underneath. She5for her husband who ran to assist, but he couldn't 6the car or the young man. He climbed into his own vehicle and sped away for7 .

    The mother, who hadn't8in months, realized that her son's groans(呻吟声) were growing9and she knew that it would be up to her to10the boy. She rose to her feet and walked on11legs to the car. Supporting herself, she12the car. The car rose a few inches — just enough to let the boy get13. Then she collapsed.

    After a thorough 14, she was found only to have suffered strained muscles. And the15doctor's words were most telling: "I will always wonder," he said, "how far she might have lifted that car if she had been16and strong."

    We've read similar stories about persons exhibiting almost super-human17in times of crises. This mother, and others like her, found the strength they needed to18the crisis at hand.

And so it is with all of us. When life19us down and it seems impossible to get back up, we need to find a way to do what needs to be done. We are 20than we think.

    In last few decades, terror attacks have become a great threat all over the world. They have aroused countless thoughts1me down. What can I do for those2people, the very victims and refugees（难民）.

    Last month when I got on a train, I took my seat3the carriage so that I would be facing forward. Later, a mother with her three children, one girl and two boys,4into the row of seats in front of me. The clothes the woman was wearing were so5that I don't think you can find any6of the clothes at any shop. I was completely7by their beautiful simplicity. Clearly, they were not expensive, fancy or from a famous designer,8they were priceless.

    The little girl's eyes and mine met and locked. She9and stared at me. I would receive the gift I had been longing for. I had 10to connect with people from a culture that was recently suffering and in my 11was a warm Pakistani family. I had a talk with her using the standard conversation 12  How old are you? Where do you study?13as she was, the depth and width of our conversation reached an amazing height.14was even more important was the unspoken talk. Her smile and trust 15touched me.

    Our 50 minutes together 16quickly but we will be always in each other's hearts. I've learned a great 17 from this experience: we all need to open our doors 18others can come in. Meanwhile, something amazing will happen when you 19to others, because people come in 20beautiful gifts.

    Ten years ago I was visiting Costa Rica when I found I was in a bad situation. I only knew basic Spanish, and the only 1 I had was some coins and a return ticket to Guatemala in two weeks.

    With the coins, I managed to arrive at Santa Rosa by bus. It was 2 in the middle of the night, but I could see some 3 in the distance, so I 4  toward them.

    I went 5 door to door, explaining my situation. “I can 6 and clean and look after your kids, I can do anything, can you give me a 7 ?”Everybody replied saying “Oh my gosh, but we are so 8.We have no extra food. Maybe you can try the next 9.”

    Finally, I arrived at a Chinese restaurant, the owner of which was incredibly 10 .She told me that her son had a(n) 11 experience. At that time, some other people were very kind to him, and she remembered how 12 that made her feel. She called the Red Cross to 13me. With their help, I spent my 14 days in Costa Rica.

    I've 15 all over the world. But this was one of the best trips, the best two 16 I ever had in my traveling life.

    At first, I felt 17 and stupid for not traveling with a clear plan. But then I realized that when you're in a position to be able to 18, it actually makes people feel happier. Being able to receive kindness is a 19 for other people as well. And kindness 20 more kindness in small ripples(涟漪).

    Even though it was only October, my students were already whispering about Christmas plans. With each passing day everyone became more 1, waiting for the final school bell. Upon its2  everyone would run for their coats and go home, everyone except David.

    David was a small boy in ragged clothes. I had often 3 what kind of home life David had, and what kind of mother could send her son to school dressed so 4for the cold winter months, without a coat, boots, or gloves. But something made David 5. I can still remember he was always6 a smile and willing to help. He always 7after school to straighten (使变直)chairs and mop the floor. We never talked much. He 8just simply smile and ask what else he could do, then thank me for letting him stay and slowly9home.

    Weeks passed and the 10over the coming Christmas grew into restlessness(骚动) until the last day of 11 before the holiday break. I smiled in 12as the last of them hurried out the door. Turning around I saw David 13standing by my desk.

    "I have something for you" he said and 14from behind his back a small box.15it to me, he said anxiously, "Open it" I took the box from him, thanked him and slowly unwrapped it. I lifted the lid (盖子)and to my 16saw nothing. I looked at David's smiling face and back into the box and said, "The box is nice, David, but it's 17."

    "Oh, no, it isn't" said David. "It's full of love. My mum told me before she died that love was something you couldn't see or touch unless you know it's there."

    Tears filled my eyes 18I looked at the proud dirty face that I had rarely given19to. After that Christmas, David and I became good friends and I never forgot the meaning 20the little empty box set on my desk.