Vandna loved sports and did well in her lessons at her high school in California. When a headache disturbed the 15-year-old girl's walk to class, she 1 it.

    “It was 2.” she thought, “Just a headache—harmless”

But when walking to her next class, she was 3 and collapsed to the floor. 4 she could hear other talking, she couldn't speak. She was 5 to the hospital in an ambulance. Tests indicated Vandna had a stroke affecting the right side of her brain, thus affecting the 6 side of her body.

    What was worse, the stroke caused her brain to began to swell, and she needed operation to 7 the pressure the swelling was putting 8 her brain. The doctors 9part of her skull（头骨）to make room for the swelling. 10 the swelling went down（消退）, her skull was placed back again.

    While the doctors predicted that she would never live a normal life, Vandna 11 improved. She was in a rehab center（康复中心）for about 3 months and began to realize how 12 her daily life might be. She had to wear a brace（支架）on her left leg to support her 13. Her left arm 14 lightly, and she often became tired. Though 15 on a campus wasn't easy, she finished high school and 16 a degree in speech therapy at University of Redlands.

    After the stroke, Vandna became 17 with the American Heart Association. She shared her 18 at public events and urged others to stay 19. She said if you 20 a tough time, remember tough times don't last, but tough people do.

    “The way we choose to respond to others can cause them to feel ashamed 1can allow them to remember our kindness and2our stories with the future generations.” when I read this3 I thought of Doris, a very 4person. All around her room were dolls she had made: they were the most interesting dolls I'd ever seen.

    One day 5I was in her room, she took one of her dolls out of the case to6me, saying it was the7doll she had ever made. The doll was very unusual with fine artistic work. I was amazed that anyone could crate something so 8.

    Doris held the dolls very carefully. Then she slowly9the doll in such a way that I could see a10crack(裂缝)on the skirt. Doris said that on the way to class she bumped(撞击)the side of the skirt. She expressed how she was 11.When it was her turn to show the doll to the teacher, she pointed out the crack. Doris felt12that the doll would be13. Much to her surprise, the teacher told her she was just going to ignore the crack and 14the doll on the other good 15it had. Doris said this remark and16changed her life. She knew17the teacher hadn't overlooked the crack, she18had made the rest of the dolls.

    The teacher could have made Doris feel ashamed about the crack. But because of her19to ignore the crack, Doris was sharing her20to the next generation.

    I'm exhausted after a day's housework. “Sometimes I just want to do something1 than all of this…”, I tell my husband Tony, who sits beside me in2, weighing his words. Finally, he says, “What you're doing feels really small, but it doesn't mean that it is.” His words reminds me of the 3 that had happened on the driveway earlier that morning.

    The kids lined up their scooters (滑板车) for a friendly4. I launched the action with a wave of my hand and stepped back to watch the race. Wheels rolled. Kids cheered 5. But then, a sharp cry ended the 6.

    My 10-year-old daughter fell down on the ground,7 by a group of broken scooter parts. Blood leaked from an obvious cut in her knee, and tears 8 in her blue eyes.

    “What happened?” I asked as I ran to her side.

    “I don't know…” Hannah said as she 9 the scooter. “My scooter was just missing one little piece…”

    She dropped her head in 10. “Something fell off my scooter right before the race began, but it was a small thing, so I didn't think it was 11.”

    As I lifted Hannah to her feet, her little brother began 12 the scattered parts in a bucket.

With a smile, he presented the pieces to his sister and 13, “I guess a small thing was really a big deal after all.”

    “Who dares to 14 the day of small things…” When we prepared to 15 an old house, one small brick matters. Like the children of Judah, we, too, have a choice. We can 16 the significance of our lives by the size of our 17, or we can trust God to use our 18 offerings for his great glory.

    As for me, I think I'll ask God to renew my love for this 19 life that 1 live, because there's a 20scooter in my garage that reminds me of my son's declaration.

    Years after graduation, I tried to maintain the little bit of French I learned in school, but eventually I was 1 that new languages are best learned when young and our ability to learn 2 with age.

    However, before my 50th birthday, I signed up for French classes and was 3 in the class for basic level. Contrary to my 4 that learning a new language was tough, I was 5 by the number of students learning French as a third, or even fourth language when I first 6 my class.

    Still, I found it was really 7 that certain linguistic（语言学的）abilities decline with age. 8 I'd always regarded myself as a quick learner, that was no longer the 9.

    I absorbed new vocabulary very10. What I learned one week before seemed to 11 away as soon as I learned the next skill. I 12 the same words and language structures in the dictionary again and again.

Despite the 13, I make it and can listen to the news in French and catch 90 percent of it on the first 14. I can catch up a conversation that doesn't go too fast.

    Who knows what I might still 15? I've learned so much beyond grammar and vocabulary. I meet people from around the world and all walks of life（各行各业的）who have the 16to make fools of themselves to learn something new. I've been taught by inspirational teachers from many corners of the world. Listening to the news as it is 17 to the people of France, I have a newer understanding of how something can look 18 different from another perspective. I've learned a language is not just a set of 19, but a way of thinking. But above all, I've learned it is never too 20 to learn something.

    Years ago a professor gave a group of graduate students this assignment: Go to the slums (贫民窟). Take 200 boys between the ages of 12 and 16, investigate their 1 and environment and then 2 their chances for the future. The students，after 3 social statistics, talking to the boys and compiling (汇编) much data, 4 that 90 percent of the boys would spend some time in 5.

    Twenty five years later another group of graduate students were given the job of 6 the previous prediction. They went back to the 7 area. Some of the boys—now 8 —were still there, a few had died and some has moved away. But they managed to 9 180 of the original 200.They found that only four of the boys had ever been sent to prison.

    Why was it that these men, who had lived in a breeding place of 10, had such surprisingly 11 record? The researchers were 12 told. "Well, there was a 13."

    They investigated 14 and found that in 78 percent of the 15 it was the same woman. The researchers went to the teacher, now living in a home for 16 teacher. How had she had this remarkable 17 on that group of children? Could she give them any reason why these boys 18 her? "No," she said, "I really couldn't." And then, 19 over the years, she said musingly (沉思地), more to herself than to her questioners, "I 20 these boys." The researchers finally realized that it was the teacher's care that made a difference.

    "Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words can never hurt me."

    A long time ago, my friend Joan believed it. At least, she 1 to. When she was young and fat, she was2 being laughed at.

    Then things changed. Joan grew up. Her friends politely say she's  "3 ", Her doctor calls her "morbidly obese (病态地肥胖)The rest of the 4 calls her fat.

    Some people say it out loud to her face. Some people 5 the word. And there are some people who say things even worse.

    Don't think she hasn't heard the words. She has. 6  they hurt her deeply. But Joan has learned how to avoid the cutting (刻薄的)7: She simply stays home.

    One day, her husband 8  her to have an eating out. The restaurant was Perfect. 9 , the servers weren't.

    Joan 10 not to hear the unkind words. But she couldn't overlook the young girl at the table across from them. When the girl 11toward their table  Joan felt uncomfortable. 12 had taught her that kids could be especially 13.

    The wide-eyed little girl stopped next to Joan. Reaching out a single finger, she14Joan's blouse.

    "You're so 15in that blouse?" The little girl smiled and walked back to her seat

    Simple praise. That was all. But it was enough to change her life and her 16.

    "Now," Joan says, "when people speak in a low voice behind my17, I can bear a young angel's 18reminding me that I'm pretty. And I'm equally sure the words everyone whispers are19.

    "That's all I hear now," Joan says: "Only praises. Words that can never20 me."