The Person Who Influenced Me the Most

    I opened the box and took out the shining gold bracelet. “For me?' I could barely talk. Yes, of course, said my Aunt Estelle, I really shouldn't have been 1 because she was like that, unexpected and golden.

    When I was younger, I knew that I could always go to my Aunt Estelle for comfort, advice and 2  She was my best friend and my guardian angel. I could always be 3with her and tell her anything that was on my mind. She also knew when I was trying to 4something. Aunt Estelle gave me advice when it was sought and guided me5many difficulties.

    Last December, I was faced with one of the most difficult 6I ever had to make in my life. She was dying of cancer and I was 7to go to Israel for two weeks for a research project. 8  I sought Aunt Estelle's advice but for the  9time I didn't like her response. When I went to the hospital to visit her for what turned out to be the last time, she was waiting for me with a book about Israel on her bed and made it very clear that she10me to go—that it was her greatest wish for me to go—haw could I 11her. Aunt Estelle was the most unselfish person I ever knew and would not even consider my 12about going. She called me 13I left for Israel to tell me that she loved me and that she would always be with me.

    I went to Israel and had the time of my life. When I returned, my parents 14me up, I told them I couldn't wait to tell Aunt Estelle about my journey. They became15and I knew before they said the words that she had died. Aunt Estelle's unselfishness was her greatest16.

    The gold bracelet she gave me for my sixteenth birthday was the one that I had always admired on her. Each time I look at it I am17of an even greater gift from my aunt, the gift of her 18.

    Whenever I find myself becoming too self-centered and19the needs of those around me, I recall her selflessness and20to follow her example to make the needs of others a priority.

    Two student loggers (伐木者) each held an end of a saw (锯子). They set the 1of the blade (刀片) on top of an 8-by 8-inch square piece of timber (木材) and began to 2it back and forth.

    They began slowly and3 worked to a faster pace.4the piece of wood fell to the ground, the students passed the saw to the second half of their relay team, who then began to saw.

    When Nate Letarte, Julian Baldinelli, Allan Theriault and David Merrill from School of Applied Technology in Mexico, Maine, US finished the relay, people 5 applause.

    It was like that with each event at the 38th Annual Loggers Meet early this month at a field across from the Mt Blue Campus.

    About 50 students from nearby areas in forestry programs took part in the event. The programs 6 students to the many aspects of forestry-related 7, from cutting wood to using heavy equipment to managing a small business and 8wood products.

    At the annual competition, students had a chance to show their9 at using axes, operating logging equipment such as a forwarder (传送装置) and knowing 10 trees, among other things. They can also share their 11of chainsaws (链锯).

    Kyle Holman, a senior, said the event lets students see what they are 12in the forestry field.

     “Some of us didn't know how to run a forwarder and other kids did,” he said.

    During the 13event, students used a forwarder to pick up wood and move it.

    The event 14out the strengths in student loggers, and shows them the qualities and15they have, junior Matt Given said.

     “We're all one big community with the same 16” senior Christopher Cook said. “This event just gives us a chance to show what we have 17at school.”

    Marshal Elwell, a senior, said he and his friends travelled over three hours 18 the event.

     “I think I'm going to 19 in the woods for a while,” Elwell said, talking about his post-graduation plan. “I enjoy 20 equipment. I like being in the woods.”

    My wife Pat and I were having drinks outside our home, The weather was unusually1for March in Mississippi, There was barely any breeze, After we finished the second cup, flashes of2danced across the sky. When the first drops of rain drove us3 the phone rang.Pat's face4on that gray and hot day. It was our son, David, a helicopter pilot who5in the US Air Force in South Korea. David intended to sound6but we recognized the sign of homesickness from his voice7the power of conversation made us feel8until a crash shook the windows.

    David wondered what it was,“Just thunder,”Pat said.

    There were several seconds of silence,“David”,I asked, “are yo9there?”

    “Yes…apart from the two of you, do you know what else I10most? Thunder, We have rain, wind, and11here, but it never thunders, Remember? Dad, when I was a kid, you laughed me out of fear of thunder? I wish I were there to12with you now.”

    “Yes…”I said, trying to13my tears, On hanging up the phone, I told Pat,“I'm going to record our son some 14”“Bob, the neighbors will think you're crazy.”

    “David won't,” I said and went outside with a recorder, Later I15the tape to David with a single line:A16gift.

    David called again, “Dad,”he said,“you won't believe that some friends and I had a thunder party where we realized we were listening to the sounds of 17 Thanks, Dad! It was really a special present,” While David was in Korea, we found ourselves 18thunderstorms.19feeling blue, we regarded the thunder as special which let us know that wherever we might be, we were 20together as a family.

    In 1975 my father had just begun building his second hospital in the Himalayas when tragedy（悲剧） struck our family. My mother and youngest sister Belinda were flying into the mountains to join him when their small airplane 1.

    It was years before Dad fully 2. Only through more adventures and projects in Nepal could he3 it. He has now built 42 schools and hospitals there.

    As I grew up, some of Dad's restlessness seemed to 4 me. I know many people think that being Edmund Hillary's son, I cannot help 5 mountains. Well, I am, at the age of 48, a mountain man. I have been on more than 30 mountaineering expeditions（探险）. And yes, I have climbed Everest twice. I am 6 because I have all that my father taught me, too.

    On one awful day in 1995, it was his 7 that saved my life. I was in a group of eight climbers just below the top of K2 in the Himalayas. We had just another 400 meters left to climb. But the 8 was going from bad to worse, and something didn't feel 9.

    At that time I heard my father's voice inside my head: “Down. Go down. Don't let the others 10 you to continue.”

    Then, from 11 I heard the voice of a fellow climber. “Come up,” she called. “Use the red rope.”

    Again my father's 12: “Don't do it. It's not 13.”

    Finally I told my climbing partner that I was going down. He too was feeling 14, but decided to go on ahead anyway.

    As I headed down, I looked back at my fellow climbers who were all climbing toward the 15. Soon black clouds appeared between us, and I 16them.

    Fear makes you careful. As my father always told me, 17 is not something that you should deny(否认). It is something you should 18. When I woke up in my tent the next morning it was silent and still all around. I found out that I was the only one who had managed to 19 what had to be done. The seven above had 20.

    In 2009 we were staying at our cousin's house in Triora, Italy. Settled just above a window was a bird's nest which my 1 said had been there for many years. Each year, different families of starlings (椋鸟) came back to make it their 2.

    We knew they were 3 because the chattering (鸣叫) of six newly hatched chicks 4us early every morning. Standing on a chair, I 5 to look into their nest. The first time I looked, the chicks were 6 and almost featherless. Their parents 7 backwards and forwards, bringing food to 8 their hungry and noisy chicks.

    Being 9 parents, whenever they saw me they screamed and flew at the window. So I could only 10 the chicks when they weren't around.

    11 the chicks were only a few days old, I realized the parents were teaching their young to fly. One brave chick beat its wings a few times and then 12 across the street landing on the roof of the house 13. Well done, I thought. The next day, my husband and I left for a tour and I was 14, thinking of how I would miss the rest taking their first 15.

    Two weeks later, on our 16, the first thing I did was look in the nest. It was 17. Then, suddenly, I head the beating of 18 and all eight of them were flying toward me. They 19a semicircle, singing to me. I felt as though they were saying, “Thank you for not harming us.” Then they flew off 20 into the blue sky.

    I stood in the yard with my son. He had a 1of bubbles（泡沫） and would dip and dip and blow and blow, but no bubbles. He 2me the bottle and loop and asked me, “Daddy, can you 3bubbles?”

    I hadn't blown bubbles in years. Though as a 4, I have successfully performed various experiments, I was having no more5than my son. I would dip and puff（喷出）,but failed.

    After several 6attempts, I changed ways.7puffing on the loop of soapy water, I gently breathed on it. My son shouted with 8as a big beautiful bubble 9and floated away. He grabbed the loop, dipped and blew, but nothing happened as it was 10. I explained to him, “Son, you can't blow 11.You must so gently breathe on the loop.” He stopped his strong 12to create big bubbles by blowing with a lot of strength and 13my advice. Big bubbles came into being.

    There are some things that you can get with cruel14, but there are other things that only 15with the gentleness of a soft breath. Too often, we try to force 16and affection from whom we like. It won't happen. The greater force we put on it, the 17we will gain. Just like the bubbles, it bursts before it can ever 18because we put too much force on it. It can't be forced and is more often19in the soft things of life. Blow beautiful bubbles; breathe 20.