I was going through my son Matthew's backpack when I saw an envelope in the bottom of it. Immediately, I knew it was a “thank you” card from one of his 1. Totally not necessary since my Christmas gifts to them are my way of saying, “Thank you”. I2I read it quickly. And then I stopped.

    I 3 the card and read it again. One word caught my attention. “I love working with our Matthew.” One word. Our. That one word 4 the meaning of the sentence for me. If she had written “I love working with Matthew”, I would know that she loves working with my son5 by adding that one word, “our”, it meant “I love working with this boy who 6 here, is accepted here and we all take responsibility for caring for.”

I 7 knew this, of course, seeing a blog I wrote previously, but it's always good to be8. In that blog post I mentioned ten reasons why his 9 is the right place for him. Since that blog we have had his IEP (Individualized Education Program) meeting, where I was 10 of that feeling again. In that meeting, someone 11 “Everyone loves Matthew. We all love Matthew”. And it was genuine and12. As we went around the room and the staff 13 us on information about Matthew, it was apparent that it went way beyond sharing what he is doing 14and behaviorally. Each person had a unique little 15 to tell about Matthew. Stories that show that they really know who Matthew is and that they 16 him.

    In fact just today I had written a note in his communication book that it was 17 Matthew to see new snow and not be able to play in it. Later in the day I got an email and a picture of Matthew 18 with snow in a big container inside the school.

As I was reflecting on this, I realized that as a family we are really lucky 19 school isn't the only place where they think of him as “our Matthew”. It 20 to other parts of our lives as well — our friends, our family, our neighborhood, and our church.

    Mildred Webinga Freeman was an English teacher at the new middle school I attended in the ninth grade.She wasn't my1;she was the adviser to the safety patrol（巡逻）on which I2.I loved being around her and3her sense of humor and kind personality.She was4a good listener.

    At the end of the year,she5that she was moving to Florida,and I was very sad.We exchanged6and became pen pals.I could tell her7,and she treated me8respect even though I was a teenager.

    In Florida,Mrs.Freeman became a Realtor（房地产经纪人）,9she managed to find time to write letters.She wrote10stories and always took my concerns11.She had given me a(n)12invitation to visit,and I missed her so much.When I13to take her up on the14,she answered,"Get your shoes on and your bags15!You are welcome anytime!"

    I spent three weeks with her in Miami.Her16of poetry,music,and creative writing17me to follow these endeavors（努力）.One day18hanging sheets on the clothesline,she19and said,"You know,the sky is fuel for the soul."I had never looked at the20before hearing those words.Later that year,I received a call that Mrs.Freeman had died.

    “How did you do it, Dad? How have you 1 not to take a drink for almost 20 years？” It took me almost 20 years to have the2to even ask my father this very 3question. When Dad first4drinking, the whole family was on pins and needles5 he got into a situation that, in the past, would have started him drinking again. For a few years we were6to bring it up for fear that the drinking would begin again.

    “I had this little7 that I would recite to myself8four to five times a day.” was Dad's9to my 18 year old unasked question. “The10 were an instant relief and constant reminder to me that things were never so 11that I could not handle them，” Dad said. And then he 12the poem with me. The poem's simple, yet profound (深奥的) words13became part of my daily routine as well.

    About a month after this talk with my father, I14a gift in the mail from a friend of mine. It was a book of affirmations (断言)with one affirmation listed for each15of the year.

    I16opened the book to the page of my birthday to see what words of wisdom this book had in store for me.17of disbelief and appreciation rolled down my face. There, on my birthday, was the18poem that had helped my19for all these years! It is called The Serenity Prayer.

    God, give me the serenity (平静) to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to20the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference.

    My father's only child, I was an obvious candidate to be his fishing companion.

    My most vivid1 of our fishing outings are those at Lily Lake in the Sierra Nevada Mountains. By the age of 6, I'd 2 my first lesson in fish behavior: fish like an 3 breakfast, which means crawling from our sleeping bags 4We climbed the winding road to the lake,5 the wooden footbridge, built above a dam. A path led us to the6tied up at the water edge.

    My father rowed us through the dark green channels. We spoke7 and the only other sounds were the liquid dipping of the oars（橹）and an occasional bird cry.8a promising-looking spot, we baited our hooks,9 our lines, and waited. For those few hours, the lake was ours.

My father and I had an uneasy 10His behavior had too often embarrassed me. But on those fishing mornings, he could11 me the lessons of fishing—not only how to fish, but also other lessons:

    We wouldn't always get what we 12

    With patience, though, we might.

    The wait could be as13 as the reward.

    Much could be heard in the quiet of the dawn.

    14between two people don't need to be filled.

    I don't remember how old I was the last time I went fishing with my father at Lily Lake. But those times 15fishing were the closest moment I 16with my father as a child.

    My father is gone now, but I 17 recently to Lily Lake. I crossed the wooden footbridge and stood on the shore. A silver flash18 the water's surface, spreading littering rings. I was there again with my father,19 through islands of lily pads, and I whispered a thank-you for 20 he taught me.

    I was walking home from school one day and it happened to be a particularly cold and windy day. It was 1and I was crazy enough to forget my hats and scarf. You can imagine my cheeks were rosy 2 and my hands were as numb as they can be.

    All of a sudden, an old lady 3 up beside me and asked if I would like a ride 4. At first, I said it was OK and her 5smile melted(融化) away the thought that I should never talk to 6! We had an amazing chat and she was just 7 a good woman. She told me her 8and she dropped me off.

    I didn't see her or talk to her for about a month and one night as I9 her kind gesture, I decided to return the favor. So, I made a lot of 10 and walked down to her house with my friend. At first I was a bit 11she wouldn't remember me or think that I was a bad man who poisoned cookies but luckily, I was 12 wrong. She was so happy, and she hugged me and kissed me and seemed so 13 that someone would do something like that!

    When I got home my mom told me that she 14and told my mom on the phone that she 15because she was so touched. She said she would never 16 the kindness that was given to her! That filled me with such 17! There really is nothing else joyful like helping 18and making someone's day 19!

    Let us never forget the joy we get 20giving others a hand!

    In most people's eyes, I was a golden girl when I was eighteen years old： I was president of the college drama society, a member of the student senate and so on. I was the1of all my friends and I was in a state of 2 .

    The old Greek tragedies3us that when pride rises, punishment falls. My universe4 with great suddenness when the scenery(舞台布景道具）fell on my head and I was left almost5for the next four months.

    My memory was in a mess and within a few months all my 6 were taken away. I was even told that I would have to leave the college at the end of the spring term7clearly, I couldn't do academic work.”

    Sad, I took one last 8by Dr. Jacob Taubes. He was the most brilliant teacher I had ever 9and in his class, I began to raise a tentative 10 and ask an occasional question. He would answer with great intensity, and soon I found myself asking 11 I questions constantly.

    One day I was walking to the bus when I heard Dr. Taubes12me,” Miss Houston, let me walk with you. You know, you have a most 13mind.”

“Me? 1 have a mind?”

    “Yes, of course.” Then he asked my understanding of some problems discussed in the classes. From that day on, Dr. Taubes continued to 14 me to the bus, always15 me with intellectually vigorous questions. Within several weeks my eyesight came back and my spirit 16 .

    Though what I acquired from the accident was a 17 sense of life, I remain deeply 18 for the attention Dr. Taubes had shown. He 19 me when I most needed it. I swore then that I would try to 20 and acknowledge the unlucky person as I had been acknowledged.