For several years, we lived at the end of a long Texas country road. Every evening when I was away from home on business, my little boy would ask 1 of his mother to take his black2 and my walking stick, to make the half-mile 3from the house to the fence (栅栏) which 4 the beginning of the avenue to home.

    One day, I was busy with my business and was 5 for about an hour, completely forgetting about the 6 little boy down the road who might be 7 for his daddy.

    On my way home, the rain was so thick that I could not8 ten feet in front of me. All I could 9was finishing my journey and getting out of the rain.10 the downpour began to become weak. It was only a drizzle (细雨) by the time my car turned the last11 and approached the final street between me and a warm home and nice meal.

    12 I caught sight of my little boy, who was 13 an umbrella in one hand, a walking stick in the other, and was wearing the biggest and most beautiful smile ever to lighten the14 of a little boy.

    As I stopped the car and 15 the door, he ran into my arms and held me. He was wet and 16 with cold, but he never 17the rain, nor the hour-long wait. He simply said, “Daddy, I am so glad you are home.”

    Last year, we 18 to a wonderful new home provided for a special season in our lives. We no longer have a long country road.19 I have never forgotten the rainy day and the little boy and his black dog. Often, perhaps a thousand times, that 20has appeared in my mind. Like all events in our lives, it happens once, and must be treasured.

    When Hurricane Harvey hit Texas, Reader's Digest wrote about impressive rescues. The spirit of serving can be incredibly 1 Here is a story from Annalysa Longworth, a survivor of Hurricane Maria, in her own 2.

    “The total 36 hours of Hurricane Maria in Puerto Rico was 3 the scariest event we've ever gone through. Our house sits on the north-west coast of Rincón. In the 4, over 100 mph winds changed direction causing a great amount of water flooding our 5. The only place left dry and safe was our kitchen floor, where we were 6 to ride out the rest of the storm. It has been 50 days since the 7, and we are still without power and water. During our regular afternoon showers, we are glad to 8 rainwater but are quickly reminded of the people living without roofs, and how 9 it must be for them. Our emotions are consistently in a state of 10.

    Recently, our good friends told us about a video interview they were doing with Watts of Love, a solar light company. The company generously gave us a headlamp for our personal 11 and a box with 50 headlamps to distribute throughout our town. Rincón was completely blacked out so making a simple walk through a parking lot to our car is 12. We used to rush to get things done before 13, but now I continue daily chores in the dark. What 14 our lives most was being able to share this gift with others. We 15 the lamps house by house to the people in the mountains who needed them most, as even batteries and candles are 16 there. Even though 17 have come slowly, people have been out of work and can't afford to 18 their electric bill. I'll always be 19 to Watts of Love for allowing us to pay it forward and be witnesses to the smiles that 20 can bring.”

    Growing up in the 1960s, I was taught from an early age to send a handwritten thank-you note expressing 1 for kindness. My mother used to buy me a box of paper and 2 me in the art and value of saying “thank you”. She 3 to be right.

    A study showed that it took most volunteers less than 5 minutes to write the thank-you notes. Just 5 minutes to make 4 person feel “overjoyed”! 5, in our “instant” world, the idea of getting an actual pen and writing an actual note seems to never come to mind. We tend to do what is 6 for us — a quick text or an email.

    It's easy to use the 7 of being busy, but even very busy and 8 businessmen find time to 9 thank-you notes. For example, when Doug Conant became CEO of Campbell's Soup, the company had 10 half of its market value and morale(士气) was at an all-time low. He 11fixing that by doing some simple things that are probably not 12 in any MBA class. For one thing, Conant wrote to every 13. He gained their confidence and 14, turned the company 15.

    In his ten years as CEO, Conant wrote over 30,000 notes to employees. It's 16 not to ask how he did it. 17, he had many other things to do 18 writing a thank-you note. Conant made time for 19 because he knew the impact(影响) each one would have. An expression of 20 in this crazy world still makes a difference.

    My 9-year-old daughter and I were flying from Chicago to spend a week with my husband in Florida. We were 1 about the trip because we hadn't seen him for five months, and my daughter 2 her Dad terribly.

    As usual, the plane was totally 3. Because we did not get our boarding passes until we 4 at the gate, Kallie and I could not get seats together and were 5 by the aisle (过道). I asked two passengers in my row if they would switch places with Kallie and me, 6we could be together. They 7, saying they thought they should stay in their assigned seats. Meanwhile, a mother and her three children were in a 8 several rows ahead of us. There had been a mistake in their boarding passes, and 9 the whole family had been split up. The passengers in her row10 refused to move elsewhere. She was very 11 about the younger boy sitting with strangers. She was in tears, yet nobody 12 to help her. There were a troop of Boy Scouts(童子军) on 13. Suddenly the Scout leader stood up and said, "Ma'am, I think we can help you." He then14 five minutes rearranging his group so that enough space was 15 for the family. The boys followed his directions cheerfully and without 16, and the mother's relief was obvious.

    Seeing that, Kallie began to panic at the 17of not being next to me. I told her that there was nothing I could do. 18, the man sitting next to the Scoutmaster, 19to me and asked, "Would you and your daughter like our seats?" 20 to his and the Scoutmaster's. We traded seats and continued our trip, very much relieved to be together and watch the scenery from Kallie's window sea.

    After that, I have been calling my kids to join Boy Scouts because I believe it is the sharing and love that matters.

    When I was in middle school, my father went to my school and drove me home every Friday afternoon. On the way home, we usually talked and laughed. How happy we were!

    One day, my 1 was driving me home as usual. But to my surprise, he didn't say a word 2 the way home. It seemed that he was not very well. "Are you sick Dad?" I asked him. "No, dear. Don't worry," he answered.

    Later at home, I found my father smoking in the balcony(阳台). And I knew he had stopped 3 many years before. Something must be wrong with him. So I went to my mother and told her about my worries. My mother 4 me that my father had been out of work for several days, and he hadn't got a new 5 yet. Hearing this, I felt sorry and 6. Whenever I had 7 , my father always encouraged me. The next day, I made a card for my father. I wrote some words on it to 8 him. My father was moved to tears. He hugged me and said," Thank you, dear. Everything will be fine soon."

    Our parents always take good care of us, 9 some of us never think about them. How selfish we are! As teenagers, we should not only care about ourselves, but also 10 our parents and other people

    A few years ago, I was working in a small office. I noticed that even though the organization was not 1, we often worked in separate teams, and while everyone was friendly, we were not very close to each other and not very 2.

    One particular week, I decided to make people 3, but I wanted to do it secretly, perhaps with the slight 4 that it'd invite a sense of trust or playfulness in the work culture. So one evening, I wrote a few 5 with quotes which I felt have 6 me over the years. The next morning, I went to work a bit early and 7 posted them up by the sinks and mirrors in the office restrooms. Maybe people would 8 the quotes and perhaps it might just help 9 someone's day.

    For the next few months, some of the quotes got taken down, but a couple 10. So perhaps others liked them, too.

    Finally, I 11that organization and went to work for another company. A couple of years passed during which time I'd still get emails 12 from my old boss and teammates every so often.

    A few months ago, I was 13 to a reunion with them to hear how the project I had 14 was going. I had really enjoyed working with my team, and was 15 to see them all again. Towards the end of the event, I went to the 16 and noticed the quote I had written three years ago was still up in the 17 spot by the mirror! It read:

    The real voyage of discovery consists not in seeking new lands, but seeing with new eyes.

    -Marcel Proust

    Maybe the quote simply blended into (融合) the background for the employees, or perhaps it still 18 as a shining reminder of something important.

    It was such a 19 reminder. We never know how long a seed(种子) will take to come out and give fruit, but we should simply keep 20 seeds of kindness in our hearts.