“I don't feel right about this,” I said to one of my cousins in a low voice. She nodded in 1 . Not wanting to be the first to touch the food, I waited for one of the older adults to start.

    Thanksgiving usually meant 2  and full stomachs, however, this year was 3. My family sat around the dinner table 4 at our feast. Everyone had a full plate, everyone except for Grandma. The treatment for throat cancer would 5  one of her great pleasures, eating. This was the first 6of many food-focused 7  to come. I could not imagine what it would be like to never taste food again. My cousin Molly broke the 8 with a raise of her glass, “To Nat.” We all followed her lead. “Your 9 and strength encourage us all,” she continued. Grandma smiled, holding back her tears with great 10 . “Thank you. Please, please eat.” And with that, we all began to eat. Conversation broke 11around the room while Grandma laughed and talked with us all. Cancer would take away her ability to eat, but not the gift of being the best hostess. The evening went on as 12 Thanksgivings do. By the time the night was over, I felt 13 to my family than ever before. I learned that we gather together on holidays not to eat rich feast, but to 14 and share with one another. We 15 my Grandmother's courage, but we all learned a lesson in grace. In the years following, my Grandma 16 to create meals for family events. She told me once with a laugh, “I may not be able to eat, but I can 17 taste things.” With a 18 heart, Grandma prepared what she could not have for the only purpose of making us 19 . She inspired me to learn to cook and helped me find the 20 to make everything come together: love.

    Today, I saw a video of a teenager giving shoes to one of his classmates. The day before, he had heard the student on the phone with her mother 1that she needed new shoes. Her mother 2said that she couldn't afford to 3 the Vans, but that she would buy new shoes in Walmart. He 4to go Vans that afternoon and buy the girl a new pair of shoes. The next day, in front of the class,5that a friend was recording the good deed, he6the new shoes to her.

    Let's start with the 7of the situation. The girl got new shoes, and the boy felt like his behavior was an act of8. But let's look at some of the results that he may not have9thought of. The girl could have been very 10. What's worse, it showed that her family was 11 which might set her apart from her classmates.

    Here's12 the situation should have gone. The boy could buy her new shoes,13give them to the teacher instead. The teacher could give them to the girl with 14. He should not have put the15on the Internet. The 16goes for donating to homeless people. Give them some respect and 17 it off the Internet.

    Doing a good deed is supposed to be18to someone else. But if you're doing it so that you can be popular on social media, you're doing it for the wrong19 The next time you 20to do something nice for someone, ask yourself why you really want to do it.

    I've always been a very anxious person—easily worried and stressed. And I've always been losing things.

    I'm not sure what exactly 1 my desire to attempt a more organized lifestyle. I started to attempt to be less 2and more organized. Instead of cleaning my room twice a year, I 3to do it about 4-6 times a year.

    Over a couple of years I started cleaning my room more, and I even 4using a planner on a daily basis: It took years to institute these actions into habits, 5I wasn't aiming for habits. I was simply trying to be a little 6—a little bit at a time.

    After I 7multiple outfits(装束) at home, 8leaving clothes on my bed and shoes on the floor, I put everything away before going out. After cooking and eating, I put everything in the dishwasher or wash it by hand. Each of these tasks only takes a few minutes. And not only does this 9immediate clutter(杂乱), but it's also much 10to deal with one mess at a time rather than leaving it all to turn into a giant mess. Organization creates ease, and ease creates organization, both of which 11to lower levels of stress and anxiety! And spending less time feeling 12means having more time to be happy, productive and present.

    Since I began intentionally being more organized, I find I have more 13to adopt other new habits to maintain(保持) and strengthen a calmer and cleaner lifestyle. Good habits result in more good habits, which help to create a better and happier you.

    If you find yourself worried, stressed or anxious beyond your control, then 14what you can—your 15. Create a comfortable, clean and calm space where you can escape from the outside world, and it doesn't have to be all at once.

    Jenna had graduated from her middle school and was lucky enough to be admitted to Westwood College. She was ready for new 1  at the college and filled with confidence. 2,  she didn't expect it that college life was quite3.  In the first week, Jenna went to tryouts for cheerleaders. She was competing against very talented girls, and she knew it would be 4 for her to be selected. Two hours later, the 5 read a list of the girls for a second tryout. Her heart 6 as the list ended without her name. Feeling 7, she walked back to her dormitory carrying her schoolbag full of homework.

    Arriving at the dormitory, she started with 8. She had always been a good math student, but now she was 9. She moved on to English and history, and was 10 to find that she didn't have any trouble with those subjects. Feeling better, she decided not to 11 math for the time being.

    The next day Jenna went to see Mrs Biden about being on the school 12.  Mrs Biden wasn't as enthusiastic as Jenna. “I'm sorry, 13 we have enough 14 for the newspaper already. Come back next year and we'll talk then. ” Jenna smiled 15 and left. “Why is college so different? ” she sighed.

    Later in math class, Jenna devoted herself to figuring out the problems that had given her so much 16. By the end of the class, she understood how to get them right. As she gathered her books, Jenna decided she'd 17 to try to fit in with her new school. She wasn't sure if she'd 18, but she knew she had to try. College was just as her mom had said, “You will feel like a small fish in a big pond 19 a big fish in a small pond. The challenge is to become the 20 fish you can be. ”

    Tears clouded my eyes as I stood in our washing room, holding Brett's jeans and shirt full of burn holes.

    Tired and defeated, I 1 to the floor. The clothes were just one more thing Brett had 2. He often got almost everything in the house out of 3. Many windows in our house needed repair due to his breaking 4 to steal money when he chose to live on the street. Yet none of this could 5 the emotional damage Brett had done to our once quiet home.

    Brett came to live with us when he was 12 years old. During the next few years I had dealt with Brett as 6 as possible, but inside I was shouting, "I don't want him in my house another day, Lord! I just can't 7 him!" Having wiped my tears, I continued 8 him as before.

    When Brett was nearly 18, he landed again in Juvenile Hall (少管所). After that, my husband and I had to send Brett to a boarding school for helping 9 teens.

    At the 10  ceremony, each graduate held a white rose to give to the person who had 11 the most to him or her.

    Brett spoke 12 to his parents and then spoke to me, "You did so much. You were always there. No matter what my mom and dad, I was their 13. But you, although 14 enough by me, always 15 me such love. And I want you to know I love you for it."

    16, I stood as Brett placed the white rose in my hand and hugged me 17.

    At that moment, tears 18 in my eyes again, this time not for disappointment but for 19. Although I had struggled with silent 20 toward my stepson, Brett had seen only my actions. Love is action. We may not always have positive feelings about certain people in our lives, but we can love them.

    A terrible fever made Anne Sullivan nearly lose her eyesight in her childhood, and the doctors said she was a hopelessly mad girl. She had been1in the basement of a mental hospital (精神病医院) in Boston. Sometimes, little Annie2 hit anyone who came near to her. She ignored everyone who appeared in front of her most of the time.

    However, an old nurse 3 that little Annie had hope. She went to4little Annie every day. The child ignored her in most cases, but the old nurse5stopped seeing her every day in the basement. The6 lady left cookies for little Annie and spoke words full of encouragement to her. She believed that as long as she showed7, little Annie could get better.

    Finally, the doctors noticed the8in little Annie. They moved her upstairs and her condition continued9Then her last day there came, and the child who seemed to be "10" went out of the locked door of the mental hospital.

    After she grew up, Anne Sullivan hoped to11 others, just as the kind old nurse helped her. She became the12of Helen Keller. She13her, trained her strictly and worked with her14she lit the candle that brought15to the whole world. Anne Sullivan16a miracle (奇迹) in the life of Helen Keller. But first it was a kind nurse who had full17in little Annie that turned a(n)18 child into a great teacher.

    If there had been no Anne Sullivan, the name of Helen Keller would not be19But if there hadn't been a20who kept showing love, Anne Sullivan wouldn't be known to the world, either.