When our second child was born, the doctor pointed out that her feet were turned inward. “Left uncorrected, it would be a 1,” he told us.

    We2 to do anything we could do help our baby.3she was growing I had to take her back to the doctor every two weeks to have each foot recast. 4the casting was finished and it was time for corrective5.Jim and I watched with hope and concern as she6to walk. Those first, awkward steps made us so7. By the time she entered preschool, her steps appeared quite8 . Encouraged by her progress, we looked for something else to help strengthen her9body.

    As it turned out, she loved the10 ! When she tuned six, we helped her join in skating lessons and soon she was skating11a swan. She kept working hard at every new 12, and her efforts13. At fifteen, she competed in both pairs-skating and the ladies' singles at the 1988 World Junior Championships in Australia, wining both14!

I thought back to the early years of15for Kristi—the years of fear for us as her parents, and the same years of frustration for her as a child two 16wanted to walk. During those years, we didn't expect gold medals and a good professional career17her. We admired Kristi herself, 18 her strength and efforts, and how far she had come on two tiny feet that had19been bound in heavy casts. In our eyes, Kristi had always walked with the20of a true champion.

    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.

    My class and I visited Chris Care Center in Phoenix, Arizona to comfort the old people. The first two 1 there were for persons requiring 2 in taking care of themselves. They loved our sweet songs we sang and the flowers we gave them.

    As we were 3 on the third floor for old people with Alzheimer (老年痴呆症), most of them 4 off at the walls or floor. However, one lady 5my eye. She was singing songs to herself. They weren't the songs that we were singing, at least they didn't 6 like that. As we got7with each song, she did as well. The louder we got, the louder she got.8 she was singing, she was also 9out to us with her hands and body. I knew that I should have gone over to her, but I thought that my10were to my students. People who worked at the care center could 11to her, I thought.

    Just when I stopped feeling 12 about not giving her the attention she needed, one of my students, Justin, also 13 the same lady. The difference between us is that he 14 on her needs, but I didn't. Justin looked this aged lady in her15 and said, “You're important, and I will take my 16 to let you know that.” This elderly lady stopped singing and held his hand. Tears felt down her face. No 17can completely describe that touching moment.

    It took a boy to 18me about kindness and love. Justin's example of a complete, selfless attitude toward another was a19that I'll never forget. He was the teacher that day, and I consider myself 20 to have witnessed his lesson.

    It was in my high school science class. I was doing a task in front of the classroom with my favorite shirt on.

    A1 came, “Nice shirt.” I smiled from ear to ear. Then another voice said, “That shirt belonged to my dad. Greg's mother works for my family. We were going to2that shirt away, but gave it to her3” I was speechless. I wanted to hide.

    I4 the shirt in the back of the closet and told my mum what had happened. She then dialed her5“I will no longer work for your family,” she told him. That night, Mom told my dad that she couldn't clean anymore; she knew her life's6was something greater.

    The next morning she7with the personnel manager at the Board of Education. He told her that without a proper education she could not teach. So Mom decided to8a university.

    After the first year in college, she went back to the personnel manager. He said, “You are9 aren't you? I think I have a10 for you as a teacher assistant. This opportunity deals with children who are mentally challenged with little or no chance of11” Mom accepted the opportunity very12

    For almost five years, as a teacher's assistant, she saw teacher after teacher give up on the children and quit, feeling13 Then one day, the personnel manager and the principal14 in her classroom. The principal said, “We have watched how you15the children and how they communicate with you and admire your hard-working16over the last five years. We are all in agreement that you17 be the teacher of this class.”

    My mom spent more than 20 years there18her career, she was voted Teacher of the Year. All of this came about because of the19comment made in the classroom that day. Mom showed me how to handle20 situations and never give up.

    When I was 13 my only purpose was to become the star on our football team. That meant1Miller King, who was the best 2at our school.

    Football season started in September and all summer long I worked out. I carried my football everywhere for 3.

    Just before September, Miller was struck by a car and lost his right arm. I went to see him after he came back from 4 He looked very5, but he didn't cry.

    That season, I 6all of Miller's records while he 7 the home games  from the bench. We went 10-1 and I was named most valuable player, 8I often had crazy dreams in which it was I who caused Miller's 9.

    One afternoon, I was 10 the field to go home and saw Miller stuck(困住) going over a fence—which wasn't 11 to climb if you had both arms. I'm sure I was the last person in the world he wanted to 12 help from. But even that challenge he accepted. I  13him move slowly over the fence. When we were finally14 on the other side, he said to me, "You know, I didn't tell you this during the season, but you did15. Thank you for filling in for 16 ."

    His words freed me from my bad 17. I thought to myself, how even without an arm he was more of a leader. Damaged but not defeated, he was18ahead of me. I was right to have 19 him. From that day on, I grew  20 and a little more real.

Another person's enthusiasm was what set me moving toward the success I have achieved. That person was my stepmother.

I was nine years old when she entered our home in rural Virginia. My father1me to her with these words: "I would like you to meet the fellow who is2for being the worst boy in this county and will probably start throwing rocks at you no3 than tomorrow morning."

My stepmother walked over to me, 4my head slightly upward, and looked me right in the eye. Then she looked at my father and replied," You are5This is not the worst boy at all, 6the smartest one who hasn't yet found an outlet(释放的途径) for his enthusiasm."

That statement began a(n)7between us. No one had ever called me smart. My family and neighbors had built me up in my8as a bad boy. My stepmother changed all that.

She changed many things. She9my father to go to a dental school, from which he graduated with honors. She moved our family into the county seat, where my father's career could be more10and my brother and I could be better11.

When I turned fourteen, she bought me a secondhand12and told me that she believed that I could become a writer. I knew her enthusiasm, I13 it, and I saw how it had already improved our lives. I accepted her14 and began to write for local newspapers. I was doing the same kind of15that great day I went to interview Andrew Camegie and received the task which became my life's work later. I wasn't the16beneficiary(受益者). My father became the17 man in town. My brother and stepbrothers became a physician, a dentist, a lawyer, and a college president.

What power18has! When that power is released to support the certainty of one's purpose and is19 strengthened by faith, it becomes an irresistible(不可抗拒的) force which poverty and temporary defeat can never20.

You can communicate that power to anyone who needs it. This is probably the greatest work you can do with your enthusiasm.