I was invited to attend a presentation at the Kentucky School. That evening I found gratitude had amazing1 to change our attitude and our life.

    The young musician Mr. Patrick was 2onto the stage in his wheelchair and began to play the piano. His fingers danced across the keys3 he made beautiful music. He then began to sing as he played, and it was wonderful. But what shocked me most was his4smile.

    Patrick was born with no eyes and an illness in the legs, which5him lame for life. However, as a child, he was6with artificial eyes and placed in a wheelchair. Before his first birthday, he discovered the piano. When his mom hit any7on the piano, and within one or two tries, he′d8 By his second birthday, he was playing “ Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star”. His father was9 “We might not play baseball, but we can play music together.”

    When Patrick was at the University of Louisville, his father attended 10with him. He was also a part of the 214-member marching band！He was a blind, wheelchair-bound trumpet player; and he and his father did it together. His father11the night shift（夜班）in order to accompany his daytime band practice. Patrick says, “My dad′s my12”

    But even 13his unbelievable musical talent, it was Patrick′s “attitude of gratitude” that14my soul. On the stage, between songs, he talked to the audience about his life and about 15blessed he was with a great father. When his performance was over, Patrick and his father were on the stage together. The crowd 16 to their feet and cheered for over five minutes.

    We all face misfortune in our lives.17it′s not the hardship but how we18to it that will determine the joy and happiness in our lives. During19times, do we spend too much time feeling sorry for ourselves,20can we, with gratitude, learn how to dance in the rain？

    My wife and I were attending a wedding at St. John's Church. The sound of 1 rang to the heavens as the ceremony continued.

    At the church, I2an old friend, Casper, who happened to be at the 3. Now 73, Casper was a brilliant and 4softball pitched (投球手) back in the Men's Leagues of Philadelphia in the mid-60s. I did not5 the now silver-haired fellow until my brother-in-law John mentioned his name to me! After a very pleasant6 Casper asked if I remembered a letter of7I had written to him back in 1964. It appeared Casper fell on hard times, as professional pitchers 8 do, and he wasn't pitching too well for a period of time. I did not9the letter, but he said, “Yes, I still have it, and I read it anytime 10aren't going too well.” He said that he had read the letter many times, and the situation always seemed to improve. I was 11and speechless!

    He continued, “You don't remember?” I said, “Sadly, no, I don't.” but I did ask if I could have a(n)12of the letter. He said he would email it to me. After the 13, we met on the steps of the church. Casper came up to me and 14 the letter. He lived a block from the 15and had run home to get it. The envelope was 16 and turned yellow, and so was the letter inside. That letter had to be nearly 50 years old.

In17term, the letter read:

    “These hard times are18! Keep your enthusiasm for the19Never quit and you will be back on top again 20Hang on there!”

    No one is born a winner. People make themselves into winners by their own 1.

    I learned this lesson from a(n) 2 many years ago. I took the head 3 job at a school in Baxley, Georgia. It was a small school with a weak football program.

    It was a tradition for the school's old team to play against the 4 team at the end of spring practice. The old team had no coach, and they didn't even practice to 5 the game. Being the coach of the new team, I was excited because I knew we were going to win, but to my disappointment we were defeated. I couldn't 6 I had got into such a situation. Thinking hard about it, I came to 7 that my team might not be the number one team in Georgia, but they were 8 me. I had to change my 9about their ability and potential.

    I started doing anything I could to help them build a little 10. Most important, I began to treat them like 11. That summer, when the other teams enjoyed their 12, we met every day and 13passing and kicking the football.

    Six months after suffering our 14on the spring practice field, we won our first game and our second, and continued to 15. Finally, we faced the number one team in the state. I felt that it would be a16for us even if we lost the game. But that wasn't what happened. My boys beat the best team in Georgia, giving me one of the greatest 17of my life!

    From the experience I learnt a lot about how the attitude of the leader can 18 the members of a team. Instead of seeing my boys as losers, I pushed and19them. I helped them to see themselves 20, and they built themselves into winners.

    Winners are made, not born.

Dear Mr. Jones,

    I expect you may be slightly surprised to receive a letter from someone living as near as your next-door neighbor; but I have to raise a1that it will be easier for me to discuss in writing.

    You may have 2 that I have a line of apple trees running alongside the fence that 3our two gardens. You may also have taken pleasure in the frequent sight of your two children sitting on your lawn directly by the fence. And you may 4have noticed that my apple trees, so to speak, 5 the fence and seem to look down at your children with interest.

    It is only natural that your children should sometimes seem to 6that interest. And it is not only natural, but, I acknowledge, quite legal, for them 7 to show that interest by picking all the apples that8 on your side of the fence.

    But to be plain with you, Mr. Jones, I am tired of seeing your children, day after day, tear the 9 off the side of every one of my apple trees, and leave my trees looking as though a10had been fought on one side of them. I am, if anything, even more tired of11 these fine autumn mornings, to find even the apples on 12 side of the fence much less in 13. I know this is the work of your children, 14 last night I was woken at midnight by the noise they were making climbing one of my trees, and (as they may have told you) chased them home.

While I am on the subject, I am at least 15 to you for keeping your bonfires on the far side of your garden this year. Last year neither I nor your children had any apples, because the smoke from your bonfires 16 all the flowers before the apples had time to form. I very much hope that17 —-for the first time since I came to this village—-I shall have my apples, and your children will have theirs and that the sight of the line of apple trees will be a 18 to us both.

    19, I shall not express my displeasure in writing to you, but shall have to refer the matter to those capable of taking stronger 20 .

Yours sincerely,

J. Smith

A Love Note to My Mom

    When I was a little girl, I would often accompany you as you modeled for fashion photographers. It was years later that I finally understood what role modeling 1 in your life. Little did I know you were 2every penny you earned to go to 3 school.

    I cannot thank you enough for 4 you told me one autumn afternoon when I was nine. After finishing my homework, I wandered into the dining room where you were buried 5 piles of law books. I was 6. Why were you doing what I do—memorizing textbooks and studying for 7? When you said you were in law school, I was more puzzled. I didn't know Moms 8 be lawyers too. You smiled and said, "In life, you can do anything you want to do."

    As young as I was, that statement kept 9 in my ears. I watched as you faced the 10 of completing your studies, starting companies with Dad, while still being a 11 and a Mom of five kids. I was exhausted just watching you 12. With your words of wisdom in my 13 mind, I suddenly felt unlimited freedom to dream. My whole world 14. I set out to live my life filled with 15 seeing endless possibilities for personal and professional achievements.

    Your words became my motto. I 16 found myself in the unique position of being either the first (woman doctor in Maryland Rotary) 17 one of the few women (chief medical reporters) in my field. I gained strength every time I said, "Yes, I'll try that."

    Encouraged by your 18 , I have forged ahead (毅然前行) with my life's journey, less afraid to make mistakes, and 19 meeting each challenge. You did it, and now I'm 20 it. Sorry, got to run. So much to do, so many dreams to live.

    Last week, Nicole Shen received a package from Amazon containing goods she had requested. She also found keys and an employee ID that had mistakenly found their way into her 1. At the sight of them, she knew she needed to get the 2 items back to their owner.

    After a little 3on social media, Nicole found out that they4Amazon employee Kenneth Delerme, who5 placed them in the box of items sent to Shen's Richmond, Texas home, about 150 miles away. Without his6, Kenneth had his car towed(拖) and was forced to sleep at a friend's apartment. So when Shen7to him explaining she had found his lost possessions, he was understandably 8. Throughout the course of their9on social media, Kenneth noticed people suggesting that he “swab(抽取血液样本)” as a way to10 Nicole. It was at that time that he got to know that Shen's 3-year-old son Roman. was diagnosed with a rare disease and was11 a bone marrow match(匹配的骨髓).

    In Roman's12, it means he can't produce white blood cells on his own. That means even a cold could 13 him. Therefore, the Shen family has been 14 a bone marrow match for Roman.

    Eager to 15, Knneth agreed to get swabbed and16persuaded several family members and friends to help as well. “All my friends and family are 17to help Roman or other people that need bone marrow,” he said.

    For Shen, this proves that despite the serious illness, the community isn't18 to help. And despite some cheats of social media, this story serves as yet another 19of how it can be used to do good and even save lives. Anyway, one good turn20 another.