Recently I understood the true meaning of love. The 1 was Kane, my neighbor Joline's two-year-old son.

    Kane was born with a physical problem on his 2. And I witnessed（目睹）the3 that Kane's physical shortcomings had on his family. I also witnessed much more than that. I saw a 4 family that embraced（拥抱）this special child. A family that wouldn't allow Kane to know he was5. Joline had constructed a small cart手推车just a few inches off the floor for his son to 6 . Kane used his hands to move about, and the cart7 him to "go to" any place just as everyone else was able to do. Kane was not just a member of the family, but the8 of the family.

    With a wide smile, it was easy to see that even at the age of two, Kane liked to 9 with people very much. With wisdom of an individual, this boy even 10 the most complex of human emotions. Later I came to 11 that this child was sent to help some of us who weren't just getting what love was all about.

    Kane demanded attention, 12 not because of his mobility（移动能力）challenges or other apparent shortcomings. In his mind, he had no13 or shortcomings. The14 was that he received attention because he was alive and real and had so much to offer.

    Kane 15 me in a deep way. His ability to refuse to be different has 16 me. Kane was and is 17 lots of warm and powerful energy to me. From him and his family I learnt the 18: love surpasses（超越）all things. I can only imagine that as the parent of a child like Kane one might be filled with19. But I believe that having a child like Kane is actually a(n) 20. The parents of such special babies are angels too, just as the babies are.

    I stopped to watch my little girl busy playing in her room. In one hand was a plastic phone; in the other a toy broom. I listened as she was speaking to her make-believe(假想的) little friend and I'll never forget the words she said, even though it was1.

    She said, “Jane's in the corner because she's not been very 2. She didn't listen to a word I said or do the things she should.” In the corner I saw her baby doll all dressed in lace and pink. It was clear she'd been put to sit 3and think.

    My daughter continued her “4”, as I sat down on the floor. She said, “I'm all5up. I just don't know what to do with her any more. She cries whenever I have to work and wants to play 6, too. She never lets me do the things that I just have to do. She tries to help me with the dishes, but her arms just cannot7. And she doesn't know how to fold towels. I don't have the8to teach. I have a lot of work to do and a big house to keep clean. I don't have the time to sit and play — Do you see what I 9?”

    And that day I thought a lot about making some 10in my life, as I listened to her words that cut me like a knife. I hadn't been paying enough 11to what I hold most dear. I'd been caught up in responsibilities that increased over the years.

But now my 12has changed, because, in my heart, I realize that I've seen the world in a different light13my little darling's eyes. So, let the cobwebs(蜘蛛网) 14the corners and the dust rabbit rule the floor. I'm not going to worry about keeping up with them any more.

    I'm going to fill the house with15of a child and her mother, for we are granted only one childhood, and we will never get another.

    The hardworking blacksmith Jones used to work all day in his shop and so hard-working was he that at times he would make the sparks fly from his hammer.

    The 1of Mr. Smith, a rich neighbor, used to come to see the blacksmith every day and for hours and hours he would2 himself watching how the tradesman worked.

    "Young man, why don't you try your 3to learn to make shoe tacks(鞋钉), even if it is only to kill the time?" said the blacksmith. "Who knows, one day, it may be of use to you."

    The lazy boy began to see what he could do. But after a little 4 he found that he was becoming very5 and soon he was making some of the finest tacks.

    Old Mr. Smith died and the son on account of the war6all his goods. He had to leave home and was7 to take up residence(居住) in another country. It 8 happened that in this village there were numerous shoemakers who were9 a lot of money to buy tacks for their shoes and even at times when they paid10 prices they were not always able to get what they wanted, because in that part of the country there was a high11for soldiers' shoes.

    Our young Mr. Smith, who was 12 it difficult to 13 his daily bread, remembered that once upon a time he had learned the art of 14 tacks and had the15 idea of making a 16 with the shoemakers. He told them that he would make the tacks if they would help to get him 17 in his workshop. The shoemakers were only too glad of the18. And after a while, Mr. Smith found that he was soon making the finest tacks in the village.

    "How19 it seems," he used to say, "even making tacks can bring a 20. My trade is more useful to me than were all my former riches."

    Did The Earth Move For You?

    Eleven-year-old Angela suffered from a disease involving her nervous system. She was unable to1and her movement was restricted in other ways as well. The doctors did not hold out much2of her ever recovering from this illness. They 3she'd spend the rest of her life in a wheelchair. They said that4, if any, were able to come back to normal after catching this disease. But the little girl was brave and confident. There, lying in her hospital bed, she would5to anyone who'd listen that she was definitely going to be walking again someday.

    She was then sent to a specialized rehabilitation hospital in the San Francisco Bay area. Whatever therapies(治疗方法) could be6to her case were used. Things didn't work as the therapists expected. Still they were charmed by her7spirit. They taught her about8— about seeing herself walking. If it would do nothing else, it would9give her hope and something 10to do in the long waking hours in her bed. Angela would work as hard as possible in physical therapy, in whirlpools and in exercise sessions. And she worked just as hard lying there11doing her imaging, visualizing herself moving, moving, moving!

    One day, as she was twisting with all her12to imagine her legs moving again, it seemed as though a13thing happened: The bed moved! It began to move around the room! She14out, “Look what I'm doing! Look! Look! I 15it! I moved!”

    Of course, at this very moment everyone else in the hospital was screaming, too, and running for 16. People were screaming, equipment was17and glass was breaking. You see, it was the recent San Francisco earthquake. But don't tell that to Angela. She's18that she did it. And now only a few years later, she's back in school.

    19her own two legs. No crutches(拐杖), no wheelchair. You see, anyone who can shake the earth between San Francisco and Oakland can conquer a little disease. You never know what's around the corner until you take a20step.

    This year I decided to do something to regain my good name as a kindly uncle. My 1 , Tony, had never forgiven me for the dictionary I had bought him as a birthday present last year. His 2 had no reason to be thankful to me either, because the year before, I had 3 their dear son with a pot of paste(浆糊) and some funny pictures. Instead of 4 them into a book, Tony had naturally covered every wall in the house with them. This year, 5, I decided to let him 6 for himself.

We went into a big shop, but Tony was very particular about 7 . Although I tried to show him toy after toy, he was not to be 8 . Then I saw he suddenly became 9 , he had discovered something he really liked: a large tin drum. I was quite happy too— 10 I thought what Tony's mother would say when she saw it. Nobody would get any 11 for weeks! I led Tony away 12 , saying that the drum was too expensive.

    Tony asked for permission to go off 13 and I made the most of my chance to sit down and 14 my aching feet. Fifteen minutes passed but there was still no sign of Tony. I began to get 15 and got up to look for him. I asked a young lady if she had seen a little boy in a grey suit. She looked 16 her helplessly and pointed out that there were so many 17 in grey suits. I was just going to call the police for help, when I saw a strange 18 dressed in strange orange clothes. He was wearing a false beard and had a caveman's axe(斧子) in one hand, and a space gun in the other. It was, of course, Tony, who informed me 19 that he was the first 20 to fly into space.

    In my early thirties, I decided to climb Mount Kilimanjaro, the highest mountain in Africa at 5, 895meters above sea level. 

    After months of preparation, I started my great 1 . At the base of the mountain, I met Mik, a local porter, who warmly 2 me. Mik's job was to carry my equipment up the mountain, set up the tent, and carry everything back down after reaching the 3 . 

    The first day of the climb was 4 the rain forest, across a slippery , muddy ground covered with tree roots and vines (藤蔓) . Mik was carrying 30 kilos on his head! By that evening, we made it to 3, 000meters. The air was 5 and it was colder. When I arrived at the campsite for the night, my tent was already set up and waiting for me. 

    Day two was much steeper and rockier. I really had to 6 what I was doing. And I felt guilty for the tough 7 Mik had to work in. Yet when I turned to Mik, he said with the biggest smile, "pole, pole, "which means"8 , take it easy" in his native language. I 9 back, my burden lighter somehow. 

    Over the next five days, the climb got 10 difficult. The temperatures could 11 from 21℃to below freezing in a few hours. At 5, 700 meters, there's only half the oxygen 12 in each breath compared to at sea level. That leaves many people with severe headache. Yet Mik always had a smile and a positive attitude. It had an enormous impact on mo, giving me the 13 to keep going. 

    Even today, when I find myself 14 with anything in life, I just think back to Mik and his smile. A great attitude can bring joy to those around you, or even 15 strangers to the top of a mountain.