When our second child was born, the doctor pointed out that her feet were turned inward. “Left uncorrected, it would be a 1,” he told us.

    We2 to do anything we could do help our baby.3she was growing I had to take her back to the doctor every two weeks to have each foot recast. 4the casting was finished and it was time for corrective5.Jim and I watched with hope and concern as she6to walk. Those first, awkward steps made us so7. By the time she entered preschool, her steps appeared quite8 . Encouraged by her progress, we looked for something else to help strengthen her9body.

    As it turned out, she loved the10 ! When she tuned six, we helped her join in skating lessons and soon she was skating11a swan. She kept working hard at every new 12, and her efforts13. At fifteen, she competed in both pairs-skating and the ladies' singles at the 1988 World Junior Championships in Australia, wining both14!

I thought back to the early years of15for Kristi—the years of fear for us as her parents, and the same years of frustration for her as a child two 16wanted to walk. During those years, we didn't expect gold medals and a good professional career17her. We admired Kristi herself, 18 her strength and efforts, and how far she had come on two tiny feet that had19been bound in heavy casts. In our eyes, Kristi had always walked with the20of a true champion.

    One summer, Aunt Betta and Uncle Bill invited me to travel with them back home to Pennsylvania. I had never been1Los Angeles and was eager to meet our relatives.

    Our first night, we drove through the desert, and then through roads cut through hills. The next day we went through the Rocky Mountains. It was2driving up long inclines（斜坡） with abrupt U-shape turns on the steep hillsides, then driving3slowly with great caution. Beyond Colorado, we drove through miles of 4, where I saw actual food being grown. I5some of the crops.

    In one small town we passed through, Aunt Betta decided I needed new6and took me to a country 7. I was used to8dresses and skirts. Now I had my first pair of jeans, a flannel shirt, shorts and a T-shirt. I loved them all.

    9 we reached our destination. Uncle Bill's aunt had a perfect little two-story house. The first thing I 10was a bed in a cute little room — for me! I looked forward to that. It would be like sleeping in a dollhouse. In the backyard, I saw red things11the back fence. Uncle Bill's uncle said, "I think you never ate a 12tomato in L.A." I hadn't. He 13picked one for me.

    I met all my new aunts, uncles and cousins. My cousins taught me how to do cartwheels (恻手翻) in the big front yard. Country people have more14, I thought.

    All the adults cried when we 15, but I took home all the 16of everything I'd seen. Back in L.A., my lungs hurt when I took a deep breath. I 17 the fresh air. I dreamed of homegrown tomatoes. My country clothes seemed out of 18, but I wore them anyway.

    I was two weeks late starting19, but I told my teachers only that I'd been in Pennsylvania and decided to 20all the rest to myself. If only they could have experienced everything that I did!

    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 was about to get on a plane after a trip. Honestly speaking, the trip was very 1 and exhausting. To make things worse, I had a middle seat in Zone 5, where they 2 the baggage because there wasn't much room in the overhead bins (行李架).

    I had to ask the flight attendant if I could 3 my seat. Trying to be 4, she asked if I was willing to sit in an exit row. "Yes, sure!" I 5 responded, full of hope. But a moment later, she told me that row might not be 6. I could only accept the reality.

    Suddenly I heard her offer two seats in the exit row 7 a young couple next to me. I was filled with 8 that I was ready to get up and 9 with her. I wondered how she could 10 me and then go to help others. I was about to shout at her, 11 my good sense won. For that belief moment, I tried to comfort myself. "If you are impatient, you'll make a 12 of yourself." Then though I was still annoyed, I managed to 13.

    With about 5 minutes to board, when I was worried about how to keep my 14, the attendant handed a new ticket to me. "Is this for the 15 seat?" I asked. "No, it isn't," she responded. "Once in a while I'm able to do this and I'm glad it has 16 this time." glanced down—business class, Seat 2F—no charge! I was very 17 for that and I felt relived that I had 18 my anger. I do know even if I shouted at the attendant, she would 19 try hard to help me, because she seemed very responsible. Now I realize that it is always important to show 20 and understanding for others in life.

    Lori was suspended (暂停)from school for having cigarettes in her locker. She told her dad, "I don't know how they got there! I was just putting them in my pocket to take them to the principal when a teacher 1 and sent me to the office." Dad had a hard time 2 that Lori didn't know how the cigarettes got into her locker, 3 only she had the key. He also found it hard to believe that she was putting them in her pocket to take them to the principal. He felt disappointed that Lori would 4 to him because they had always been such a close and loving 5. He was also worried that she was beginning to 6 her life by getting involved in smoking, drinking, and drugs.

    Dad felt like 7 and punishing and letting her know how disappointed he was.

    8 , he decided to look for the positive. It is never difficult to find, if you are willing to look for it. As he got into Lori's 9 he could understand that she was probably having a tough time deciding how to 10 with family values and still be part of the crowd. He also realized that the only reason Lori would lie to him would be because she loved him so much that she wouldn't want to disappoint him.

    With this 11 , Dad approached Lori. Instead of scolding and punishing, he kindly said, "Lori, I'll bet it is really difficult trying to 12 how to stick up for what you believe and yet not be called a 13 by your friends.

    Lori felt such 14 as she said, "Yes, it is."

    Dad went on, "And I'll bet that if you would ever lie to us, it would be because you love us so much that you wouldn't want to disappoint us." Lori got tears in her eyes and could only nod in 15. Dad added, "Lori, we would be disappointed if you did something that would 16 you. But if you don't know that you can always tell us anything, then we aren't doing a good enough job in letting you know how much we love you — 17Lori gave her dad a big 18 , and they just held each other for a while.

    They never did directly discuss the problem of smoking and lying. Over a year has gone by, and Lori seems to delight in letting her mom and dad know every time she 19 the temptation(诱惑)to do something contrary to her 20. She also feels proud that she is influencing her friends to stick up for their belief.

    Returning from a trip overseas, I sensed that something was wrong between Keith, one of my two sons, and me. So I asked him, "Keith, have I done anything that really1your feelings?" Immediately, he said, "Yes. Last Christmas you promised us a special2 that we really wanted but you3gave it to us. The4was that I'd completely forgotten about it. I5, "Is there anything else I've done wrong, but I haven't apologized for?" Again, his6was immediate, "Remember last Christmas when Mom said you had to go to the7 because Kate, my little sister, was going to be born? You left us at home and8in a hurry. Remember?" "Well, you left and 9the suitcase." I couldn't believe he10all the details! "After you came back from the hospital, you were11to see the suitcase had been opened and12 had been thrown all over the place, and then you13 me."

    "And you didn't do it?" I asked. "No, I didn't. I was just searching for my gift." My heart sank. I felt14. I hugged Keith and asked him to15 me. His honesty made me think of my other son, Kevin. Maybe I'd hurt his feelings, too. I went to ask him the16question. Kevin answered as immediately as his17, "Last Christmas you18us a special toy, but you forgot about it."19 Christmas had passed, I took my two sons to the store that day and bought them what I had promised. The20thing wasn't the toy. The problem was I'd made a promise too lightly and didn't keep it as their father.