It's amazing how one dollar can change the culture of a school.

    We have a1school of about 30 students. It is really full of2and pressure as most of the kids get good3and try to be the best ones. It's4except that a lot of us middle kids felt really pressured. We got the feeling that we are so selfish—it's every man for5.

    6,my friend and I set out to find a way to7the culture. We decided doing things for others was the only way to8our depression（沮丧）about school.

    On the first day of school we put a9folded into a heart into one of the leaders' lockers with a piece of paper that 10“ Buy yourself a snack.” We11to give away small gifts every day. We didn't know the 12it would have.

    People went 13over it and everyone was talking about who it might be doing the acts of kindness and 14that they should do something too. It is so much fun to see the 15on everyone's faces now! Lots of other people have started sharing16now too: Chocolate bars, cookies and money left17in the vending machine（自动售货机）.And lots of notes are on the thanks board saying: “thanks to whoever started.”

    Now I actually expect to go to school to have the chance to18people up. I hope kindness will19to the other schools.20anybody is struggling with being depressed  At school and work, I totally suggested doing acts of kindness.

    My mother asked me to call my grandmother. What could we possibly have a 1about? Nothing! I just did what she told me and2called my grandmother.

    When she3the phone, I planned to have a small, 10-minute exchange.4, she invited me to lunch at her house so we could5together. Hesitantly, I agreed.

    After hanging up the phone, I immediately6agreeing to the lunch date on Saturday.

    Surprisingly, my Saturday morning wasn't 7. I found it was nice to see her. I forgot the time8her stories about her recent trip to Europe and her sewing class. I wasn't9that 60-year-old people had a social life. It turned out that her10wasn't as mundane（平凡的）as I thought. I was happy to have spent time with her. We planned to meet11at her house. My mom didn't have to12me any more.

    This time I didn't feel the gloom(忧郁).13I wanted to ask were building up in my mind: What was my grandfather like? What did you do at my age?

As we looked through pictures, I was14. I had never seen, nor imagined, my grandmother as a young girl. She reminded me of myself. I learned that as humans, we15human experiences, no matter what age.

    She told me about the time she and her friends went swimming in the lake late at night and the first time she met my16. "You would have adored him. He was the funniest man I'd ever met. "We sorted through three shoeboxes of photographs, each with a17story.

    Ever since that18phone call to my grandmother, we have talked at least once a week. I regret not calling her earlier. She has19me what can't be learned in a textbook: being open to new things, enjoying the simple things, and appreciating what life has given me. I have20a new perspective(视角) on life.

    “I have recently completed my college degree. The project we were 1in the last class was called “Smile”. The class was asked to go out and smile at three people and record their 2

    Soon, my husband and I went out to a McDonald's for 3We were standing in line, waiting to be4, when everyone around us began to back away.5 I turned around, I smelled a6“dirty body” smell, and there standing behind me were two 7 homeless men.

    As I looked down at the short gentleman, he was “smiling”. His blue eyes were8of expectation as if in search of acceptance. The second man9 awkward. I realized the second man was mentally challenged.

    The young lady at the10asked him what they wanted. He said, “coffee is all, Miss,” because that was all they could11. If they wanted to sit in the restaurant and warm up, they had to buy12. I realized that he just wanted to be13. It was too cold outside.

Then I really felt it— the compulsion (冲动) was so great I almost reached out and embraced the short man. I noticed all the customers in the restaurant were14at me, judging my every action. I smiled and 15two more breakfast meals for the two men. The short man looked up at me in16with tears in his eyes.

    I returned to the17on the last evening of class with this story. I turned in “my project” and the teacher read it. Then she said, “Can I18this?”

    I nodded. She began to read19while every student listened attentively.

    In my own way I20the people at McDonald's, my teacher, and every student in the classroom. I graduated with one of the biggest lessons I would ever learn: UNCONDITIONAL ACCEPTANCE.

    When things went wrong, Ittleby Fein always had something nice to say.

    When Dad forgot about the pizza and it burned, Ittleby said, “Don't 1. It'll still taste good.” And he was 2. The pizza edges were dark, 3 the middle wasn't bad.

    Ittleby looked on the 4 side. And everyone, except Hazel, 5 that about him.

    Hazel was the 6 student in class. On her first day, Ittleby said, “Nice to meet you, Hazel. I think you'll like it here.” Hazel looked at him, “I 7 it.” Ittleby didn't know what to do. He'd never8 anyone like Hazel.

    9 Mr. D. said they'd have recess (休息) inside 10 the rain, Hazel said, “Bad things come in threes. No outdoor recess is number one. What will the 11 thing be?

    The class didn't have to 12 long to find out. Greta was carrying a box of paints during art class. She 13, and paint went flying. Hazel turned to Ittleby, “That was the second 14 thing. What will the third be?”

    Ittleby didn't know what to say. Hazel seemed so 15 about the Rule of Three Bad Things.

    Emma came to look at Ittleby's 16. She picked it up, not realizing she had paint on her fingers. Hazel pointed, “Ittleby's picture is ruined(破坏)! There's number three.” Emma looked 17. “I'm sorry, Ittleby.” “It's OK, Emma. If I add wings, the fingerprint(指纹) could look like butterflies,” said Ittleby.

    So Ittleby added wings. 18 he said, “Everyone, let's make a field of butterflies.”

    Everyone put a fingerprint on Ittleby's paper. Only Hazel didn't.

    “Want to add one?” Ittleby asked her. Hazel thought about it, and she carefully added wings.

    “It looks 19. I like it very much,” said Ittleby. Hazel 20, “You know, I don't really think there's a Rule of Three Bad Things.” Ittleby nodded, “Bad things happen. But good things happen, too. And sometimes, there are good things hiding where you don't expect them.”

    Once upon a time, there was a poor man. His 1 was also very poor—a small and empty house, which was 2 with spider webs (蜘蛛网). People tried to 3 coming into his house as they didn't want to come to such a 4 place. And the poor man thought that poverty (贫困) was the 5 for his unlucky life.

    Then, the poor man 6 a wise man and told him about his poverty. The man felt sorry for the poor man and gave him a vase. "This will save you from 7," the wise man 8. The poor man took the 9 from the wise man and wanted to 10 it at first and then spend the money on drinking, as usual. Besides, why would he 11 such a beautiful thing? But then he started 12 the vase carefully and decided not to take it to the market. He brought the vase back to his 13, put it on the table and started watching it again.

    "It's not 14 for such a beautiful thing to be 15," the poor man thought. So he 16 some flowers and put them into the vase. It became even 17. "Not good that such a beautiful thing stands next to a spider web," the poor man 18 again.

    So the poor man started 19 his house. He cleaned the dust, washed the floor and whitened the walls. And it became clear that his house wasn't poor, 20 rather warm and comfortable. And the poor man wasn't a poor man anymore, but a hard-working host, who had no time to think about poverty.

My childhood memories involve sitting with my dad in his study every night. When he came home from work, he would put his 1items away: his watch, wallet, comb and car keys which would always 2the same spot on the table.

Dad's 3was jade green. He bought it when he married Mum, which made it two years older than I was. Every night, he would smile, and hand me the comb: "Be a good girl and help Daddy 4it, OK?"

I would excitedly turn the tap on, and brush it with a used toothbrush. When I 5returned it to Dad, he would smile at me, and place it on top of his wallet.

Two years later, I started primary school. That was6Dad's business wasn't doing so well, He didn't come home as 7as he used to, and when he did, it was always late and I'd already be in bed. So the uncomfortable silence between Dad and me 8.

Now 28, I've 9from college and got a job. One day last year, Dad came home early. I helped him carry his bags into his10. When I turned to leave, he said: "Hey, would you like to help me clean my comb? It's been a while since I 11cleaned it." I looked at him a while, then took the comb, and headed to the sink. It hit me then: why, as a child, helping my dad clean his comb was such a joy. That routine meant that my dad was home early to spend the evening with Mum and me. It meant a happy and loving family. With 12in my eyes, I brushed it with an old toothbrush.

When I 13the clean comb back to him, Dad looked at it, smiling, and then carefully put it on his wallet. But this time, I had noticed something different: Dad has 14. He has wrinkles next to his eyes when he smiles, yet his smile is still as 15as before.