Honest Thanks

    I sat down at my desk and started writing. I wrote an emotional letter of gratitude. I put the notecard into the 1 ， sealed it and stuck the stamps on it，but when it came to actually placing the letter into the mailbox...I2.

    The letter was to a schoolmate with whom I kept in contact via Facebook 3.She had inspired me to live a(n)  4 life—for example，by 5 more.

    Her volunteer efforts weren't 6—she wasn't building wells in Uganda，but  7 she was doing small，local good deeds，such as serving as a crossing guard. These were things I could do，too. She made me8 I could make a difference here at home. I felt I should let her know how her 9 positively influenced my life .I could have easily sent her an e-mail，10 that seemed a bit lame for such an important thank you. That's why I ended up 11 the letter. But now I stood before the mailbox，unable to place the envelope inside. What was 12 me? Why was this so 13 to do? I guess I felt strange because it wasn't like she was my best friend，I just knew her，“People don't 14do this，” I thought to myself. However，15 thinking it over，I still felt a(n)16to let her know how grateful I was. Finally，I put the envelope in the mailbox.

    Weeks later I received her reply. She was 17  a tough time and my letter meant the 18  to her. She didn't know she had such a(n)19on others. Not only did this letter make her happy，but her response to it increased my 20 of happiness，I decided to write a gratitude letter to someone each month. Cultivating gratitude is a great skill to practice. Life is too short not to do it.

    It was at a concert that I happened to find David. He was holding his head at a strange 1 as if he were staring down at something. Then the truth struck me. He was blind. The last thing he remembers 2 was his daughter being born. Then the world went 3.

Bad luck is no stranger to this 44-year-old man. His mother died of cancer, and his weak father had to 4 11-year-old David to the care of the state. Things seemed always to go from bad to 5. Two years ago, his beloved guide dog pulled him out of the 6 of a truck. David was not hurt. The dog 7 But David does not feel sorry for himself. "These are just little obstacles (障碍) you have to 8 in your life," he said. He has to make a daily two-hour trip to his working place—the X-ray department of an 9 room. It was a hard job to 10. Before he got it, David was determined to escape the workshop run by the Lighthouse, an organization 11 to help blind people. He wanted a job of developing X-ray film, something 12, not just he, must do in the dark, including people with 13 eyesight. The Lighthouse called many hospitals, with no result, 14 they offered to pay his first three months' salary.

    David works alone in a dark room that 15 chemicals. He cannot wear gloves. 16, he could not feel. Since this is an emergency room, lives can be 17 or out of danger. His directress says she trusts him 100 percent.  He makes $ 20 000 a year. But his motivation (动机) goes 18 money. "By working, I can actualize my own 19. That's the most important!" he said.

    What a shining example for us to 20!

    Years ago, we celebrated our oldest son's first birthday by holding a super party. I spent months 1, cutting out handmade banners（横幅）and making all kinds of decorations. I kept2 my husband's work as he built a cardboard city background. And I would lose 3 of my emotions when it didn't progress exactly as I 4.

    I didn't know exactly why I stuck to 5 a party like that, but I felt this unspoken 6. It was a feeling that my 7 as a mom and my love for my son were tied to how 8 this party was. Actually my son was turning one year old, and he had no idea what was going on. 9, this clearly meant nothing to him.

    I tried to 10 other people and maybe even prove something to myself, only to find it made me 11. On his birthday, I put on a ton of makeup（化妆品） to 12 my stress and smiled to our 13 even though I nearly broke down. It was the 14 party because of the memories attached to it! I ruined a 15 memory for me as a mother and decided to make a 16.

    Last weekend, we celebrated my other son Hudson's sixth birthday. He asked a Ninjago theme, so a week before the party, I searched Amazon (a shopping website) and 17 a banner and some basic party materials as he 18. On that day, we ordered a big meal and used disposable（一次性的）plates to avoid hours of cleaning up. The party was 19 but perfect. As Hudson went to bed that night, he told me it was his best birthday ever.

    Parents'20 for kids does not lie in the complexity of celebrating kids' birthday.

    Six months after my car accident, I was finally given the green light to return home. 1 that's when the reality of the situation became clear to me. I had realized my life was now so 2, unable to use a phone or a TV remote and unable to feed or bathe myself. I couldn't hold anything—a fork or spoon was too heavy to 3 up. I had lost my entire independence and now had to 4 on others for any help. The tables had turned 5 taking care of people for twelve years as a nurse assistant to now having people take care of me. It was difficult. I 6so much that I could fill up buckets with tears. I had 7 days. I didn't want anything to do with this new life.

    Yet I had no choice but to 8 it. No matter how difficult things were, I never gave up on my faith (信念).

    Shortly after returning home, I could finally wiggle (摆动) a toe and scratch my nose. Those were important moments I'll never forget. The little things we get used to so often 9 the most. Small victories are huge and important leaps.

    In these past few years, I've made progress in my 10. I had to learn to be 11 with myself and to enjoy every moment going forward. I was decided to 12 again. Giving up was no longer an option (选择). I 13 hard in my recovery and still do to this day. Every day, I wake up and I thank God for another chance in this life. I'm now moving my legs and arms on my own, doing things like working out in a gym, swimming, yoga and acupuncture (针灸). All of this is turning the page from the impossible to the possible. I'm presently working to 14 my independence and mobility.

    This 15 has been entirely life-changing for me, and every day I am struggling to improve my 16 , quality of life, strength, and hopeful recovery from paralysis(瘫痪). My unshakable faith, 17 family, friends, and team encourage me to continue to work harder. I believe that this obstacle (障碍) is a/an 18 to grow, become stronger, and keep on fighting to hopefully 19 someone else not to give up. Never give up on 20. Never give up on hope.

Pass Your Love On

    Waiting for the airplane to take off, I was happy to get a seat by myself. Just then, an air hostess approached me and asked, "Would you mind 1 your seat? A couple would like to sit together." The only 2 seat was next to a girl with her arms in casts (石膏绷带)， a black-and-blue face, and a sad expression. "3 am I going to sit there," I thought immediately. But a soft voice spoke, "She needs help." Finally, I 4 to move to that seat.

    The girl was named Kathy. She 5 in a car accident and now was on her way for 6.

    When the snack and juice arrived, it did not take me long to 7 that Kathy would not be able to 8 herself. I considered 9 to feed her but hesitated, as it seemed too 10 to offer a service to a 11. But then I realized that Kathy's need was more 12 than my discomfort. I offered to help her eat, and 13 she was uncomfortable to accept, she 14 as I expected. We became closer and closer in a short period of time. By the end of the five-hour trip, my heart 15, and the 16 was really better spent than if I had just sat by myself.

    I was very glad I had reached 17 my comfort zone to sit next to Kathy and feed her. Love 18 flows beyond human borders and removes the fears that keep us 19. When we 20 to serve another, we grow to live in a larger and more rewarding world.

    When my oldest son was in high school, he planned to 1 a Christian contemporary concert with the youth group from our church. To my 2, Aaron invited me to go along. I 3 accepted; however, by the time the date of the concert arrived, my youngest son had been ill, and I was 4 about him. I hesitated (犹豫). Then my husband 5 me to attend the concert, promising he would take care of our youngest.

    Finally, the 6 was made. Aaron was sixteen years old. How many 7 would I have to do something fun with him 8 he went away to college? And how many youths actually would 9 their mothers to attend a concert with them that was clearly for teens? I would not miss this opportunity.

    At the concert, I 10 with Aaron in the third row, putting cotton in my ears to block out the 11, ear­splitting music of the first performer. I stood when the kids stood, clapped when they 12, and never let anyone know how 13 I was to feel the floor shaking beneath my feet. Aaron and his friends were 14 at my enthusiasm (激情).

    By the time we left the concert, my ears were ringing, but it quickly passed. 15 did my son's teenage years. 16 he was in college and away from home. I missed him more than I could say. Whenever I felt 17, I would think back to the concert we attended and be thankful once again that I didn't 18 an opportunity to spend time with my son.

    Aaron is now grown and has a family of his own, but he often calls just to 19 and tell me about his day. I drop everything and 20 the moment.