I was getting ready to head to my daughter's college to bring her home for Christmas. The 1 was falling heavily and the land was silvered. I knew it wasn't going to be an easy drive.

    Usually a three-hour round2, but I knew it was going to be a lot 3 today as I slowed my car to 4 the slippery roads. Once I was on the road, 5 , conditioh9 only worsened. I 6 slowed down but four-wheel trucks sped past me 7 huge showers of slush (融雪) onto my windshield. During the last twenty miles I suddenly found myself behind a very  8   winter driver.9 driving slow and adjusting, when he hit a slippery spot he braked hard and turned sharply all over the road. 1 had to 10 hard myself to keep from hitting him but unfortunately slid into a ditch (沟).

    I tried pulling out again and again but could only hear  11  tires. I was half-way out in the road and a truck sped by me, missing the car by inches. I looked about the car 12 and miraculously the car started to move,13it was almost being pushed out of the ditch. From the driving mirror I spotted a 14 , covered with snow,15  my car as hard as possible. When I 16 my hand to greet him with gratitude, he17  signed me good luck, getting on his car.

    Just as a famous writer Henry 18 it, “He who walks in love may wander far. Yet God will bring him 19  the blessed are.” Wherever you go then and however20 your journeys may be, always remember that you are watched over by people with a love more powerful and more beautiful than you can ever imagine.

    In the town of Swedesboro, New Jersey, 5^th grade students are determined to make 2,000 paper cranes (纸鹤) by the end of the school year. Their1is to put smiles on kids' faces.

    The idea of 2 the paper cranes started when their3 Tara Milward, read them the story Sadako and the One Thousand Paper Cranes in class. Sadako was 4with leukemia (白血病) at a very young age. She5folding the paper cranes along with her family and friends6 this was a symbol of hope for Sadako to get7one day.

    The students of Harker School wanted to8 Sadako's story. They began buying paper9 paper cranes, and decided to make 2,000! They want to send the101,000 cranes to Hiroshima, Japan where Sadako lived. The next 1,000 cranes are 11 to a local hospital. Wherever a paper crane is made, the students are12that something so simple can help someone 13 hope.

    They are so devoted to the14that they work on it in every minute of their15time to help them towards their big goal of 2,000 paper cranes. To achieve their16 goal, all of the students are coming together and working very17 They are eager to spread the hope to their friends and families, also a18of this extraordinary project.

    The students are 19 by Sadako's story and are making their impossible dream come true. They hope to make a 20 around the globe to show that everyone can make the world a better place.

    I'd never been crazy about Christmas. My husband John and the kids had always done their best to infuse(使充满) me with the holiday 1 , but this Christmas their efforts would be especially 2 .

    My salary had reduced and John's government salary was 3, too. There wasn't much money to go around, and 4 were just impossible. John was 5 a brave face as usual. But for me our financial hardship brought back 6  memories of my childhood.

    “I got a Make and Bake set for Christmas!” one girl shouted. “I got clothes!” another girl said. “What did you get, Lori?” someone asked. “So many presents.” I lied. My parents gave me plenty of love, but love was the 7   thing I had. Mom and Dad always had trouble making ends meet. I'd long since 8  Christmas just wasn't for me.

    John was 9 the tree for just the right branch to 10 the red glass bulb with the “Merry Christmas” writing. It was a precious 11 of his childhood, and he took great pleasure in hanging it on our tree every year. A few days earlier, the tree 12 and several ornaments( 装 饰 物 ) broke, but this one was unique because of the memories it held for him. It was fine if I didn't have any Christmas spirit, but it was a different 13 for John. He took a step back to admire the replacement I'd finally found after endless searching on foot and surfing the Internet.

    I worked hard to make things right for John because I loved to see my Christmas-loving husband full of holiday joy. I 14 one of the tree lights so it shone directly on John's beloved ornament. The words on it sparkled(闪烁). After all this time, I finally understood its 15 . Christmas was the season to show my love for my family. How could anyone not like Christmas?

    Life is colorful. Sometimes it's just like potato salad; when it's shared, it became a picnic.

    With three young children to bring up, my husband John and I were very 1. "Can we go on a picnic, Mom?" my six-year-old daughter, Becky 2. "Please." I had said no so many times in 3 months, and I decided the usual Saturday morning chores could 4. To her 5, I agreed.

    I prepared a few sandwiches and 6 a cooler with ice and drinks and called John 7.

    My eleven-year-old twin sons loaded the cooler and the picnic basket in the trunk and off we went to spend some 8 time together as a family.

    About the time I got the lunch 9 out on the table, John arrived on the 10. That was one of the happiest meals we ever shared together. The meal was full of 11. We felt a closeness that had been hidden by work and school responsibilities for so many months. John and the boys 12 rocks into the lake, Becky fed the ducks and I sat quietly at the picnic table, 13 God for blessing me with such a wonderful family.

    That night as our children went to bed, I kissed their cheeks. It 14 me what a wonderful life I had. As I walked out of the room it dawned on me that even the busiest 15 could become a picnic when it's shared with the ones you 16. Even though kids have now grown up and 17 from home, I can still remember how I felt that day while sitting at the picnic table.

    Maybe today would be a good time to 18 potato salad, call all of my 19 kids, feed some hungry ducks and skipped a few rocks into the lake. Since life is like potato salad, let's make it a 20.

    Until a few years ago, I had what most people would call a good life. I had a 1 job that paid the bills; I had a good family that I was close to, and I had a place to live and money in the bank for trips and 2, and there was nothing much wrong in my life. 3, I was bored.

    I wanted more. I wanted to live 4 and loudly and make sharp memories instead of the 5 ones of everyday life. But I was 6. I had never had any 7 in myself. As a child, even buying something in a shop caused me a great deal of 8, and even though I did get better as I got older, I never quite 9 that childhood shyness.

    And I tried everything, like reading books about confidence. I also took tiny steps leading to my goals. But none of them really 10.

    So I 11 that the small steps weren't enough. I signed up for an internship (实习期的工作) of teaching English in Vietnam, an 12 huge step, one that 13 me as much as it excited me. And then the day came and I left my home and my loved ones. I was alone in a country where the food was 14 and the streets were unfamiliar. I had no idea whether I would be able to 15 everything that this very strange environment would 16 at me.

    I spent five months in Vietnam, teaching, exploring and laughing, I'd learnt to 17 myself, my skills, my abilities and my decisions. I returned home 18, even to myself, let alone to others. The 19 that had controlled my life and the self-doubt were 20.

    That one big chance changed everything for me, and in me.

    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.