One of my wonderful memories is about a Christmas gift. Unlike other gifts, it came without wrap(包装).

    On September 11th, 1958, mum gave birth to Richard. After she brought him home from hospital, she put him in my arms, saying, “I promised you a gift, and here it is.” What an honor! I became four years old a month earlier and none of my friends had such a baby doll of their own. I played with it day and night. I sang to it. I told stories. I told it again and again how much I loved it!

    One morning, however, I found its bed empty. My doll was gone! I cried for it. Mum wept(哭泣) and told me that the poor little thing had been sent to a hospital. It had a fever. For several days, I heard mum and dad whispering such words as “hopeless”, “pitiful”and “dying”, and all these words sounded ominous.

    Christmas was coming. “Don't expect any presents this year,” Dad said, pointing at the socks I hung in the living rooms. “If your baby brother lives, that'll be Christmas enough.” As he spoke, his eyes filled with tears. I had never seen him cry before.

    The phone rang early on Christmas morning. Dad jumped out of bed to answer it. From my bedroom I heard him say, “What? He's all right?”He hung up and shouted upstairs. “The hospital said we can bring Richard home!”

    “Thank God!” I heard mum cry.

    From the upstairs window, I watched my parents rush out to the car. I had never seen them so happy. And I was also full of joy. What a wonderful day! My baby doll would be home. I ran downstairs. My socks still hung there flat. But I knew they were not empty：they were filled with love!

    On a Friday night, a poor young artist stood at the gate of the New York railway station, playing his violin. The music was so great that many people stopped to put some money into the hat of the young man.

    The next day, the young artist came to the same place, and put his hat on the ground gracefully. Different from the day before, he took out a large piece of paper and laid it under his hat. Then he began to play the violin. It sounded more pleasant than ever.

    Soon he was surrounded with people who were attracted by the words on that paper. It said, “Last night, a gentleman named George Sang put an important thing into my hat by mistake. Please come to claim (认领) it soon.”

    After about half an hour, a middle-aged man rushed through the crowd to the violinist and said, “Yes, it's you. I knew that you were an honest man and would certainly come here.” The young violinist asked calmly, “Are you Mr George Sang?” The man nodded. The violinist asked, “Did you lose something?”“It's a lottery ticket,” said the man. The violinist took out a lottery ticket on which George Sang's name was seen. “Is it?” he asked. George nodded and took the lottery ticket and kissed it, then danced with the violinist.

    The violinist was a student at an arts college and had planned to attend advanced studies in Vienna. Later his classmate asked the violinist, “At that time you needed money to pay the tuition and you had to play the violin in the railway station every day to make money. Why didn't you keep the lottery ticket for yourself?”

    The violinist said, “Although I don't have much money, I live happily. But if I lose honesty I won't be happy forever.” Through our lives, we can gain a lot and lose so much. But being honest should always be with us.

    Qing-Feng Steamed Dumpling Shop. Daniang Dumpling. McDonald's. What do these companies have in common?

    Well, besides all being fast food chains, their logos are all red. And it's not a coincidence. Color is one of the many that companies use to connect with customers. And if fast food wasn't hard enough, those red logos might make it even harder to ignore.

    The average human can see ten million colors, but red is special. It's one of the first colors our ancient ancestors thought important enough to name. Early human languages were uncolorful. There were words for “black” and “white” and “red” but not much else.

    As a result, we have a deeper connection to red than any other color and we react to it in certain ways that actually play to fast food companies' advantage. For starters, researchers have found that red can cause a sense of urgency. On top of that, it also has an ability to whet (刺激) our appetites. And when you pair those two together, you've got the perfect recipe to attract hungry customers who want food, fast.

    So the red logo isn't just a welcoming sign. It's a seduction (诱惑) for your brain. Now, it's unclear why red makes us feel this way. But perhaps it has something to do with where the word comes from. Many ancient languages first named red from their word for “blood”. But red's bloody beginning has transformed. During medieval times, for example, red was worn by royals as a status symbol. And today, brides in many parts of India are married in red dress.

    In fact, red is one of the few colors today that cultures all over the world view positively. And it's no wonder companies attach so much importance to their logos. After all, we're a visual species. Despite having five senses, 80% of the information our brains process on a daily basis comes from our eyes. And according to marketing company WebPageFX, nearly 85% of consumers say the main reason they choose one product over the other is color.

    Just think what McDonald's would look like in blue, green, or pink! It's just not the same, right?

    It takes a special person to travel with kids—a parent. Children have their own needs. Their idea of a vacation is more “adventurous” than a parent's. They need constant inspiration and they can get as tired as they are tiring.

    Make sure you have plenty of room while traveling

    If you are driving, get a mini-van. Sure, you might be more of a “car” type, and you might have resisted buying a mini—van so far. But pick up a rental van for the vacation just to give the kids a little more room for fighting.

    Accommodations along the way can be tricky. Usually it involves a crowded motel for just long enough to sleep, then back in the crowded car. This is not anybody's idea of a home away from home. An accommodation alternative is to camp, but not everyone enjoys a good early morning wake-up wrestle with a bear as much as I do, so a motel might be required.

    Make sure you have plenty of room when you “get there”

    Assuming you are actually heading for a destination, make sure to have lots of room when you get there. This part is easy. But it requires thinking outside the box. Forget hotels, motels, and inns. Look for private rental homes.

    Probably the biggest destination for families is Walt Disney World in Florida. Good news—Orlando, Kissimmee and the surrounding area is full of private vacation homes for rent. In Florida they call them vacation villas, and they offer all the space of home.

    Be prepared for “children being children” events

    Sometimes, stress hits you from behind when the unexpected happens. Like a cut or a scrape…or a child getting sick. Sharon Baillie told me that is why she tells all her villa rental guests where the first-aid case can be found, and exactly where to go for medical attention. This is particularly helpful for her many guests from abroad, who are unfamiliar with the US healthcare system.

    Booking tickets to theme parks and making reservations for just about everything in advance makes the trip less stressful. Try having your children baby-sat. Hire a local baby-sitter once or twice. Vacation Home owners can set this up for you, and some hotels might be willing to, too.

    The doctor made it sound easy. Just walk. It was easy for him to say. I couldn't walk to the end of the road to pick up my mail. I tried to stand up, but soon got breathless and just stopped. My mailbox seemed to be so far away. It was hard for me, though I am only 39 years old!

    A month ago, my wife Stephanie and I were in Colorado Springs with our friends when I woke up at 12 o'clock at night and didn't feel very well. Stephanie and I drove to the hospital, and my 10­day vacation turned into a 10­day hospital stay. I got a scar (伤疤) on my body. It was really tough to walk around then and I needed practice.

    Stephanie had to go to work so she encouraged me to try to take a few walks. Minutes later, she came back with a puppy. "Where did you get that?" I asked. "In our mailbox," she replied. What a wonder! The puppy was dirty, with big pleading (恳求的) eyes. Stephanie was late for work. I was not very happy. I couldn't take care of myself. How could I look after this puppy? "He's going to the pound (动物收容所)," I thought. However, wherever I went, the puppy would closely follow me. I tried walking. The puppy ran ahead, looked back and repeated it again and again. He seemed to say "come on". I took a deep breath, and then tried stepping; the puppy was right at my side. I succeeded at last. I didn't take the puppy to the pound. Instead, we walked toward the mailbox.

    We named him Cheyenne. Before long, I was walking with Cheyenne every day. Pretty soon, I was strong enough to work on the farm again. Now I wonder who put a puppy in a mailbox. Nobody is so crazy after all, Cheyenne was maybe what the doctor ordered.

    NYRR is celebrating 20 years of free youth running in Central Park at the NYRR Summer Community Run. This event is perfect for all ages, with waves for runners, walkers, and families with strollers(婴儿车), to encourage participation by all.

    Take on a 1.5-mile course and then enjoy the post-race festival full of fun activities.

    Note: Please be sure to register all those who will be participating on race day­including those little ones in the stroller.

    Live Results

    Live unofficial results are available during the race at liveresults.nyrr.org and in the NYRR app, including leaderboards, map tracking, and an individual runner search that can be shared on Twitter.

    Race Number Pickup

    Numbers and souvenir (New Balance water bottle) may be picked up at the NYRR RUNCENTER at 320 West 57th Street on the following dates:

    * Sunday, August 11, 9: 00 a. m. ­5: 00 p. m.

    * Monday­Friday, August 12­August 16, 7: 00 a. m. ­8: 00 p. m.

    * Saturday, August 17, 8: 00 a. m. ­7: 00 p. m.

    Show the QR code(二维码) from your race confirmation email or your NYRR account to pick up your race materials. Please pick up during the week to avoid crowds on race day. Race-day lines may affect your ability to get to the start on time. Please note that souvenirs may not be available at race-day pickup.

    Race-day pickup will be available at Race-Day Central in Central Park from 6: 00 a.m. to 7: 30 a. m.

    Detailed Route Info

    Begin your race on the west side of the 72nd St Transverse, and head south around the southern end of the park, continuing onto East Drive. Turn left onto the 72nd St Transverse and head to the finish line near Bethesda Terrace.