I have written a poem called Flying Kites, in which a man 1 his son to fly a kite. After a few minutes, the child2 drops the string and lets the kite soar(高飞). With joy in his eyes, he watches it climb until it disappears 3.The father realizes that 4 he'll have to loosen the string that ties him to his son. And he 5 ,“Will I release the tie as unselfishly as that?”

    Many years later my son, Gary,6 he wouldn't finish his college career. I tried to talk him out of it. But none of my reasoning made any 7 . At the end of the semester Gary moved back home.

    Gary managed to find a job at a nursery and went at it with 8enthusiasm. I,9, was deeply disappointed. What was a college professor's 10  doing at a job that any high school dropout could perform? Then I tried to11 him. “Look,” I said, “In a few years you'll be at your high school reunion with 12 classmates who became doctors, lawyers, and engineers. Do you think you'll be able to 13 that?”

    “Yes, Dad,” he replied without 14. Then he fixed his eyes on mine and said, “But the real question is: Can you?”

    Shame suddenly 15 me. I wasn't thinking about my son; I was thinking about myself and what my friends would think. The problem wasn't Gary's pride; it was mine. All at once I remembered my  16  and the question it asked “ Will I release the 17 as unselfishly as that?”. At that moment I knew I had to let go. Gary was  18 enough to make his own choices.

    Today Gary has a successful career working for the city. I am very 19 of who he has become.20I let go of my pride, I've been able to sit back and enjoy watching him soar.

    One morning in early fall, I found a pair of wild geese on our pond. The beautiful sight caught me by 1because we'd never seen geese there before. I2they would soon be on their way, so I enjoyed the 3to be close to them. I wondered where they came from and why they'd 4our pond.

    The next morning, the geese were 5our guests, so I watched them at a distance to show them I meant no 6 Still, I couldn't7 getting a closer look. I stopped by some trees near the water's edge and quietly looked at them through the8I was surprised to see that they were9me.

    As the days passed, I continued to see them every-day. They craned their necks and raised their heads10but seemed to realize I was a friend. Later, my11about why they were staying at the pond so long changed to concern. It wouldn't be long before the12winter came and the pond froze over.

    One day, as they were feeding in the grass, I discovered the reason for their 13--the male had a broken left 14 He was unable to fly, and his mate would not leave him behind. I asked a wildlife biologist friend what I should do. He explained that sometimes a broken wing will 15by itself and suggested tat I let nature take its course.

    On the first day of November, I 16sight of the geese running toward the pond, beating their wings with great effort. Both17climbed higher and flew over the pond. Then they turned back toward me, flying no more than 50 feet over my head as if to say goodbye. Then they were18.

    The season's first snow fell the every next day. The birds must have19that winter was coming and that it was time to go. I miss them very much now and I'll never forget their20to each other. We can all learn a lesson or two from this pair.

    When Dave was eighteen, he bought a secondhand car for 200 so that he could travel to and from work more 1 than by bus.It worked quite well for a few years, but then it got so old, and it was costing him 2much in repairs that he decided that he had better 3 it.

    He asked among his friends to see if anyone was particularly  4 to buy a cheap car, but they all knew that it was falling to pieces, so 5 of them had any desire to buy it.Dave's friend Sam saw that he was6when they met one evening, and said, “What's  7, Dave?”

    Dave told him, and Sam answered, “Well, what about advertising it in the paper? You may  8 more for it that way than the cost of the advertisement!” Thinking that Sam's9was sensible（合理的）,he put an advertisement in an evening paper, which read “For sale: small car, 10 very little petrol, only two owners.Bargain（要价）at 50.”For two days after the advertisement first appeared, there was no 11.But then on Saturday evening he had an enquiry（询问）.A man rang up and said he would like to12 him about the car.“All right,” Dave said, feeling happy.He asked the man whether ten o'clock the next morning would be13or not.“Fine,” the man said, “and I'll 14my wife.We intend to go for a ride in it to 15it.”

    The next morning, at a quarter to ten, Dave parked the car in the square outside his front door, 16 to wait there for the people who had17 his advertisement.Even Dave had to18that the car really looked like a  wreck（残骸）.Then, soon after he had got the car as clean19 it could be, a police car stopped just behind him and a policeman got out.He looked at Dave's car and then said, “Have you reported this20 to us yet, sir?”

    I was walking around in a Big Bazar store doing a shopping, when I saw a cashier talking to a boy who didn't have enough money to buy what he wanted. The little boy was still holding the doll 1 his hand. At that time, I walked toward him and I asked him who he 2 to give this doll to. “It's the doll 3 my sister loved most. I wanted to 4 her for her Birthday.” His eyes were so sad while saying this.

    “My Sister has gone to be with God. Daddy says that Mommy is going to see God very soon too, so I thought that she could 5 the doll with her to give it to my sister.” My heart 6 stopped. Then he showed me a very nice 7 of him. He then told me “I want mommy to take my picture with her so my sister won't 8 me, I love my mommy 9 I wish she doesn't have to leave me.”

    I quickly 10 for my wallet and said to the boy. “Suppose we 11 again, just in case you do have enough money 12 the doll?” I added some of my money to his, without him seeing and we started to count it.

    The little boy said, “God heard my 13 last night. Thank God for giving me enough 14 to buy it.”

    Then I remembered two days before a local 15 reported an 16 in which a woman and a little girl were badly 17.The little girl died right away, and the mother was left in a 18 state. Was this the family of the little boy?

    Two days 19 , I read in the newspaper that the woman had passed away.I couldn't stop myself from going to the 20 . Teary-eyed, I felt that my life had been changed forever.

    I thought I would never have a child－then a miracle happened.

    When I was only 29, doctors said I had too many 1challenges to have a child. Meanwhile, my best friend Colleen was pregnant and she asked me to buy a changing table with her. Focusing on Colleen's good fortune helped distract (使分心) me from my2. In the shop, a babysuit with a crab (螃蟹) caught my eyes. The crab 3 childhood memories of my pretending to be Ariel from the Little Mermaid. If things were 4, that crab would have made me laugh. Instead I said, "If I5had a son, I'd want him to have that. "Sarah, you have to get it," She said.

    I shook my head no. I didn't want a(n) 6of what I couldn't have. My husband, John, and I had talked about 7. But I worried we would get8.

    The next Sunday, we went to 9 There, I noticed a tiny baby in the arms of a woman. On his backside was the same 10 I had seen. My breath caught.

    I11 to John and whispered, "That's the babysuit I was telling you about." He cocked his eyebrows. Throughout the service, I was totally 12 by the baby. I 13 to hold him. In the end, the priest (牧师) made an announcement. "The baby needs a 14. If anyone is thinking about adoption, please see us afterwards."

    We 15 our phone numbers.

    That evening, the young mother, carrying the baby, came to our home. Before we sat down, I held her baby. He fit 16 in my arms.

    Twelve families had volunteered to adopt him. If she picked us, all she asked was that we let her be 17 in his life in some way. We agreed wholeheartedly.

    I never mentioned the crab babysuit. I wanted her to make her decision without being influenced by that 18 .

    The next morning my phone rang. "We picked you" was all I heard.

    Now our six-year-old son continues to be the best 19 thing that will ever happen to me. And that crab baby suit remains 20 folded in one of my dresser drawers, where I plan to hold on to it－forever.

    As a temporary teacher, my daily routine1driving to a new school2every day, so I'm usually unable to anticipate (预料) the day's events, good or bad.

    On one particular day, I was teaching in a very3class. I was managing behavior all the morning and by lunch time, I needed coffee to4the afternoon. So at my lunch5, I drove to a nearby plaza to get a cup of6. Upon returning to the car, I realized I had7my keys and my phone8. I had about 15 minutes to get back to the school which was a good 4–or–5 minute9. I thought of rushing back, but it being10, I thought a nasty fall on ice would only make the situation much11.

    So I ran into a McDonald's which was in the12plaza and asked the man at the counter who 13to be the manager to help me call a tab. I14explained my situation and he hurried to the back to use the phone15I paced in the restaurant.

    The manager returned16to tell me that the cab company had put him on hold and then the line got17. My expression began to resemble some combination of hopelessness and fear.

    Almost immediately, the manager grabbed his coat and18to drive me to the school. Without19, I followed him into his car and made back into my classroom with 2 minutes to 20before the bell!