Having said good-bye to his parents, Alvin, with his wife and one-year-old son, set off back home. Still1Alvin and Clare talked and laughed happily. And even little Alax2from time to time. The family were3their trip.

    But three hours later things began to 4. It was starting to snow. Alvin sped up the car,5to arrive home before dark. But it was too dangerous to drive fast now because it was snowing more and more heavily. So Alvin had to 6down. The snow on the 7was getting deeper and deeper until it was hard to 8on it. Their car slipped(滑落)off the highway and got caught in the deep snow and the engine refused to start again.

    “The snow doesn't seem to9. Shall we stay in the car waiting to be frozen(冻)to death or walk ahead 10the snow?”Alvin asked. Clare said she 11to walk. So they got out of the car with their Alex and began walking. But something 12was to come. Soon they lost their 13 and had to walk aimlessly(无目标的)on and on.

    Night came. They were not 14of the dark. But they feared that poor Alax would die of cold. However, their faith(坚信)to keep Alax 15filled them with courage, warmth and strength. They slept and rested in turn and then continued their 16. They had fallen down many times but each time true love encouraged them to rise to their 17again.

    One, two, three, …seven days passed. On the eighth day, 18 at last came from Alvin's parents, the police and local people. But the young 19had to have their feet cut off because of the bad frost-bites (冻伤). Fortunately, there was 20 seriously wrong with little Alax.

    Sitting here, I go through my mom's old journals, reading them very differently from the first time I found them.

    It was a number of years ago, when I was twelve, I found 1 just lying around her 2 room.That day I read each line with growing 3 and horror.I couldn't believe that woman who fed me as a baby and read me fairy tales had written this.I will never forget the first line I read: “They all want to take me away and 4 me！”

    5 I thought of the other day, when she was 6 around the house.I was sitting at the dining room table with my grandmother, working on a five­thousand­piece puzzle (拼图) that takes a 7 to solve.Suddenly, the front door was violently thrown open.My mother ran in screaming at the top of her lungs.

    Then she ran into the room and shoved (推) our puzzle off the table, smashing it into the five thousand pieces we had 8.It scared me.9 ， something was 10 my mother.

    My 11 ended then, when the doctor told me she had hallucinations (幻想症).I started to understand that her illness wasn't something I could 12.That was when I realized that other kids always 13 she was different when they came over to play.

    I always wondered 14 I could do but there is no solution.But dealing with my mother has given me a different outlook on life.I try not to 15 my problems.If my mom starts making strange remarks, I leave the room and call someone.Just 16 is one of the best relaxing ways in the world.If there's no one to talk to, I 17 the violin or some other hobbies to forget about things for a time.

    As I think about the past, I see that Mom was 18an entire life.Thankfully, I haven't been.To me, each day is just one piece of the 19 ， one piece among the thousands we spend our lives putting together, hoping it won't 20.

    As we slowly drove down the street on that cold December evening, we spotted the porch（门廊）light. “This 1be the house." I told our "Positive Teens In Action" group with certainty. We2in front of an older home with the porch light shining. We gathered up our 3 books, walked up the steps, and4on the door. We heard a 5 voice from inside say, "Come in. The door is open." We opened the door.

    There in a rocking chair 6 an elderly woman with a big 7 on her face. "I've been8you,"she said weakly. Ruth was one of our "Meals On Wheels" stops I had9. I had phoned her and told her about it. Going along with me were the10 church members who 11 singing carols（颁歌）.

    We 12 Ruth the basket of delicious food the teens had prepared earlier that evening. Then I asked Ruth what carols she would like to 13Ruth was smiling cheerfully when she 14 singing each song.

    15we hugged Ruth good-bye, she said to me with tears in her eyes, “The day you 16 I was still in bed. l had just finished17 .I asked God if it would be possible to have some Christmas carolers come to my home and18 this year. Thank you for being the 19to my Christmas prayer."

    Wow, what an awesome 20 to have the opportunity to make Ruth quite content!

    Last year, I was lucky enough to work at an office near my mother's house.1, I stayed with her for a month. During that time, I 2 her out with the housework and contributed to the groceries.

    After a week, I started to 3 the groceries were running out pretty quickly.4, I began observing my mother's daily routine for two weeks. To my 5, I found she would pack a paper bag full of canned goods and 6every morning at about nine. She took the food to the slums（贫民窟）and distributed it to street 7.

    I asked around and 8 my mum was popular in the area. The kids looked up to her as if she were their own mother. Then it hit me — why didn't she want to tell me about what she'd been doing? Was she 9 that I would stop buying the groceries if I knew the truth?

    When she got home, I told her about my discovery and 10 she could react, I gave her a big hug and told her she didn't need to keep it a 11 from me. She told me that 12 of the children lived with an old lady in a makeshift home while others13on the streets. For years, my mum had been helping out by 14 whatever food she could 15. I was so moved by how 16 she was. She used what was17for her to help others in need. And I was so 18 of her.

    I 19 to buy groceries for my mum. But now, I always add a(n) 20bag for her other children.

    It was a warm, sunny, Saturday afternoon some fifteen or sixteen years ago. I took my two kids to the local playground. As soon as we got there my daughter headed for the swings(秋千) and asked for a 1. I noticed another little girl 2 to get her own swing going high as I was 3 my daughter to go higher and higher.

    I walked over to the little girl and asked 4 she need help. She smiled and said "Yes!" and I soon had her feet flying towards the  5 while she laughed happily. For the next two hours I found myself pushing swings and playing games with my daughter and the little girl. By the time we headed home, I was 6tired, but my spirits was still flying 7than those swings.

    Two years later I was 8again after a long day's work. Still, I needed to9 my kids from their school before heading home. I stood in the 10 waiting area waiting for my children. Suddenly, I felt two 11arms wrapped around my legs. I looked down and there was the little girl I met 3 years before in the 12smiling up at me. She gave me a big hug before running away to 13 the school bus. As I watched her 14, I didn't feel tired any more and my spirits were once again 15with that swing.

    The love we 16 with others will find its way back to us. It will travel from heart to heart, it may take seconds or it may take17. The law of love, 18, is never broken. We will get back what we give. We will harvest what we19. The kindness we give and the joy we create will always come back to 20 us.

    It happens every day, everywhere I go. At the supermarket and the post office, people keep telling me to enjoy my kids while they are 1. I spend my days taking care of them and answering 2 questions about everything from why we have two eyes but one nose to 3there are toilets in the heaven. They 4 me from eating a full meal or getting a full night's5.

    Yet, the other day, when I took my kids to a children's museum, I began to 6 what people were trying to tell me. It was the7time we had gone there without diaper(纸尿片)bag, baby bottle or stroller. As l watched-my sons paint there, I was suddenly8by a wave of 9. My babies weren't babies any more.

    Now I'm paying more attention to the 10 that won't happen when my kids are 11I'm enjoying the minute when Christ looked up the sky and 12excitedly: "Wow! The moon!" In a few 13, it will take rare Shrek card or something else to get him that excited. I'm treasuring the moment when Nicholas put down his fork at dinner and asked," Mommy, how are you doing?" About ten years from now, he might not 14 me. When they're in primary school, they won't want to hold my 15 any more. In junior high school, they won't hug me and say," I love you, too." In high school, they won't even want to be16 together with me.

    Pretty 17 they'll both be gone. And I'll 18 through the supermarket and the post office alone, 19 young mothers to enjoy their kids while they are little. Hope they'll20.