When I settled in Chicago, my new city seemed so big and unfriendly. Then I had a 1problem and had to go to hospital for a2examination.

    It seemed a small3compared to the one I was about to face ,but things started to go4right from the beginning.Not having a car or5the city, I was depending on a couple of buses to get me from A  to B. 6I'd left myself plenty of time, soon it was7I was going to be late, as I had mistakenly boarded a bus that was taking me in the8direction.

    I9the bus and stood on the pavement not knowing what to do. I looked into the eyes of a 10, who was trying to get past me11, instead of moving on,she stopped to ask if I was12. After I explained my13 to her, she pointed to a bus stop across the street, where a bus would take me back into the city to my14. Sitting there waiting, I felt15that someone had been willing to help.16, hearing a horn (喇叭) nearby, I looked up to see a car with my new friend17at me to get in. She had returned to offer me a18to the hospital.

    Such unexpected19from a passer-by was a lovely gift to receive. As I climbed out of the car at the hospital and turned to thank her, she smiled and told me not to lose20, for all things are possible.

    As I sat motionless on the steps of the pool, watching everyone else swim back and forth, I realized that I had spent most of my life watching others enjoy themselves. It was then that I1a little girl staring at me with a look of confusion. I smiled at her, hoping to 2the ice by talking to her. Unfortunately, my3failed and she just kept on staring. My 4increased as a little boy swam up to me and said, “I feel sorry for you.”

    After the5a thought struck me, I had to change 6the world viewed me. Because it was children who stared at me the most, I decided to write a children's book that taught them about7in a fun way. This is when KatGirl, a super hero in a8who helps children that are being bullied, came into my mind.

    I quickly9inside my apartment and began creating the story. As I wrote each word, I could10my future as a world-renowned author and public speaker. My excitement11like wildfire. Over the next two years, the story12many changes before it saw the world in the spring of 2011. My perseverance 13paid off.

    One day I was invited to speak to the students at a neighboring school. I confidently wheeled into a classroom filled with students who14at me just like the little girl in the pool.” How do you feel when you see me?” I asked them. The kids bravely15“ I feel sorry for you.”

    I opened my book and started reading. Immediately I noticed the children's stares turned to 16“ How do you feel when you see me?” I asked again. Without 17they replied, “ You are so cool! Does your18fly too?” I just smiled, “No, not yet, but maybe some day.” I knew in my heart that this was19The past two years had proven to me that with 20anything is possible.

Eating the Cookie

    One of my patients, a successful businessman, tells me that before his cancer he would become depressed unless things went a certain way1was “having the cookie”. If you had the cookie, things were good. If you didn't have the cookie, life was 2.

    Unfortunately, the cookie kept3.Some of the time it was money, and sometimes power. At4time, it was the new car, the biggest contract. A year and a half after his diagnosis(诊断) of prostate cancer, he sits5his head regretfully. “It seems that I stopped learning how to6 after I was a kid. When I give my son a cookie, he is happy. If I take the cookie away or it7he is unhappy. But he is two and a half and I am forty three. It's taken me this long to understand that the8 will never make me happy for long.

    The9you have the cookie it starts to fall to pieces or you start to 10about it crumbling (弄碎) or about someone trying to take it away from you. You know, you have to11a lot of things to take care of the cookie, to keep it from crumbling and be12that no one takes it away from you. You may not even get a chance to eat it13 you are so busy just trying not to lose it14 the cookie is not what life is about.”

    My patient laughs and says15has changed him. For the first time he is16.No matter if his17is doing well or not, no matter if he wins or loses at golf. “Two years ago, cancer18me, 'What is really important?' Well, life is important. Live any way you can have it, life with the cookie, life without the cookie. Happiness does not have anything to19with the cookie: it has to do with being 20.

    Like many military wives, I had to stand the long separations until my husband retired. Though I supported him in his chosen career, I1every moment away from him.

    To 2 our separations, I wrote letters every day. I made up dozens of small 3 for him which I secretly put into his bag, so that he could 4 them when he was out to sea. To this day those notes are still 5 to us.

    6in 1996 my husband retired from the Navy. But the only job 7 for my husband was six and a half hours of driving away in Norfolk, Virginia.

    We spent eight months 8. That was our hardest separation, perhaps because we had 9 planned to be apart again. He 10 to apply for jobs in the area where we hoped to live. We expected we would soon be able to be 11 again.

    One day Louie called me with the good 12 . He found a job in southwest Virginia. We were excited! There was only one small 13. Louie would have to live in a camper (露营车), while our daughters and I lived in a little house an hour and a half of driving 14. My daughters were 15 enough to take care of themselves? So I left them and stayed with Louie.

    Louie and I spent several 16 weeks together. One morning after he left for work, I sat 17 in the camper trying to remember any possession that was as priceless as the 18 we stayed together. I couldn't 19 a single thing. Then all of us moved into that camper and lived there for a year. It was pure joy! I've learned that the greatest 20 I have is the time I've spent with the ones I love.

    It all 1 when we were at school on a Monday. It was after lunch time and we had just finished this week's maths exam and Stephen, Vivian, Krystal and I were correcting our 2 again. We were just getting ready to do English when everything started 3. Things were flying everywhere. It was an EARTHQUAKE!

    Stephen, Vivian, Krystal and I all 4 for cover while everyone else stood there, too 5 to move. Even the 6 boys in the class didn't move! It shook like jelly and it was the scariest earthquake ever! A bookshelf fell on the 7 of the girls. The heater fell on the boys. It was a 8! So far, Stephen, Vivian, Krystal and I were the only people 9. We were all as scared as if we had seen a 10.

    The earthquake went for a couple more 11 and then we ran into the corridor and checked if anyone was alive. Everyone but us was dead. We went outside and all the 12 were wrecked. All except one.

    We ran into the house and it was as 13 as ice. The disgusting cobwebs (蜘蛛网) touched our skin. It was a 14! The house was old and rotten and it 15 like really bad body smell. We ran 16 and we heard someone 17. We 18 the door. There was a 19 in the room. We guessed she was about eight years old. "Help me", she shouted in a frightened voice, I was just about to help her when I heard my alarm clock ringing. It was just a 20!