My first lesson is at a meeting. As we settle around the table I hear Meg, who is 1 a recent operation, talking to Judith, the manager of our project. “Thank you so much for 2 my daughters to their dance lessons last week.” “Don't mention it,” Judith says, “It was nothing.”

    Knowing how 3 Judith's schedule is, with her work, kids and aging parents, I find her driving Meg's children to lessons unbelievably 4. I am about to say more about this when Donna, another colleague, enters the room 5. She apologizes for being late, saying she just hosted a lunch for her friends who are over seventy. “That is so nice of you,” I say, 6 how busy she is, how she doesn't like to cook and clean. “Oh,” she says, waving her hand, “It was nothing.” 7, I can still tell the 8 in her voice. She did gain a sense of satisfaction from the entertainment offered to her friends.

    Seeing their 9 to help others selflessly, I start thinking about the concept of “nothing”, this peaceful and generous way of living — had it really been nothing or are they simply saying that? It 10 to me that once I spent a whole afternoon after work helping a friend 11 a speech she was going to deliver. I 12 her to rearrange the sequence of the stories in the lecture to make it sound more 13. After the fifth try, she finally 14 it . She hugged me with 15, saying thanks to me. I smiled and said it was nothing.

    Suddenly, I realized that helping someone was really something to me. I learned that giving from the heart doesn't 16 mean sacrifice and hard work. The 17 is finding something we love to do and finding someone who 18 that something. Our generosity can benefit others 19 ourselves. Once you have a good 20 of it, it's nothing. And it's really something.

    Growing roots

    When I was growing up, I had an old neighbor named Dr. Gibbs. He didn't look like any doctor I'd 1 known. When Dr. Gibbs wasn't 2 lives, he was planting trees.

The good doctor had some3 theories on planting trees. He believed in "No pains, no gains". He never 4 his new trees, which was5 many people. Once I asked why. He 6 that watering plants spoiled them, and that if you water them, each following tree generation will 7 weaker and weaker. So you have to make things8 for them. He talked about how watering trees

    9 shallow roots, and how trees that weren't watered had to grow deep roots in

    10 of water. I came to understand that he meant deep roots were to be 11 I planted a couple of trees a few years back and I took good care of them. Two years of12 has resulted in trees that expect to be waited on hand and foot. Whenever a cold wind blows, they 13and tremble their branches. Funny things about those trees of Dr. Gibbs'. The lack of water seemed to 14them in ways comfort and ease never could.

    I used to15for my sons that their lives will be easy. But16 I've been thinking that it's time to17 my prayer. I know my children are going to meet

    18 and I'm praying they will be strong. The prayer for comfort is seldom met. What we need to do is to pray for deep roots,19when the winds blow, we won't be20away.

    One young person, who was well educated, went for a job as a manager in a big company. The president did the final 1.

    He discovered the youth was 2 and felt satisfied. Then the president asked who paid for his school fees. The youth answered, "My mother did it. She worked as a clothes 3."

    The president requested the youth to 4 his hands. So the youth did. They were smooth. Then he asked, "Have you ever 5 your mother wash the clothes before?" The youth answered, "Never, my mother always wanted me to 6."

    "Go and clean your mother's 7 when you go back today, and then 8 me tomorrow morning," the president said 9.

    The youth felt his chance of getting the job was high, so when he went back, he 10 requested his mother to let him clean her hands. However, his tears fell 11 he cleaned his mother's hands slowly. It was the first time he had 12 that his mother's hands were so wrinkled (布满皱纹的). After that, the youth didn't say a word and washed all the remaining clothes for his mother 13. That night, Mother and Son 14 for a very long time, longer than any talk before.

    The next 15, the youth went to the president's office. The president noticed the tears in the youth's eyes and asked: "Please tell me how you 16 about helping your mother." The youth said, "Number One, I know now what 17 is. Without my mother, I wouldn't be successful today. Number Two, by helping my mother, I realize how 18 it is to get something done. Number Three, I've come to realize the 19 of family relationship."

    The president said, "You are 20. This is what I'm looking for to be my manager."

    I had just arrived in this Asian country for a one-year teaching position. One day, I took the subway to visit some ancient palaces and temples in the downtown. The following account of what happened to me has taught me much about culture 1.

    Since all the 2 were taken, I stood. Suddenly, I felt someone pulling on my bag.3 I probably was in someone's way, I moved over slightly. 4 in one quick motion(动作), I felt my bag removed from my back, and in a flash it was5. I turned around to see who the thief was. I looked at the people standing behind me, but didn't see my bag or any 6.My heart sank and I began to7.

    I glanced around the car only to find directly across from me was an elderly lady, and sitting on her lap was my 8. I tried to get it back from her lap. But as I began to 9 it up, she quickly grabbed it back and held onto it. I looked around at the people standing beside me, and those sitting beside her, but no one took any 10 of the situation. Trying not to cause a(n)11, I tried to communicate through gestures. I used my hands as best as I could, but she 12 my requests for my bag and pointed to my back. She picked up my bag, showing how 13 it was. I finally began to understand. She was holding my bag to 14 me.

    As the subway 15 the main downtown station and I was getting ready to get off, the woman 16 handed me back my bag. But 17 I had a chance to thank her, she had disappeared into the crowd.

    Sadly, this 18 custom was more surprising to me than pleasing. Everyone back home had heard of being robbed—that was 19 city behavior—but having a stranger hold onto someone's bag out of 20, in a city of twelve million people—that was truly unusual.

    My father was a self-taught mandolin（曼陀林琴）player. He could not read, but if he heard a tune several times, he could play it. Occasionally, he 1 play for the local radio station.

    Dad loved playing the mandolin for his family. He knew we enjoyed his playing. If he could give 2 to others, he would, especially for his family. He was always 3 his time and efforts to making sure his family had enough in their life.

    Later, I matured into a man and had my own children. Whenever coming home, I would ask Dad to play the mandolin, for nobody played the mandolin like him. He could 4 your soul with tunes coming out of that old mandolin. He seemed to 5 when playing, taking pride in his ability to play so well.

    Unfortunately, in 1977. Dad was 6 in an accident, leaving his third finger of his left hand wounded seriously. 7 he didn't lose enough of the finger where it would stop him picking up anything, it did affect his 8 to play the mandolin. After the accident, he was 9 to play and felt unable to play as well as before. Every time we asked him to play, he would make excuses. 10, we could persuade him and he would say "Okay. But I can't hold down on the strings and play as well as before." For the family it made no 11. When he played the old mandolin, it would carry us back to a cheerful, happier time.

    In August 1993, Dad was 12 with serious disease. He chose not to receive any chemotherapy(化疗)treatments 13 he could live out his rest life in dignity(尊严). A week before his death, we asked Dad if he would play the mandolin for his family. First he made the usual 14 again but later said "Okay.", 15 it was likely to be the last chance for us to hear him playing. He tuned up the old mandolin and played. 16, I found everyone in the family 17. We saw before us a quiet humble man with an inner 18 that lives with him in his life.

    Dad would never play the mandolin for us again, but we still 19 the most valuable gift we gained from him, 20 he had done all his life, giving.

    My husband and I have little money lately. We haven't 1 out for a while, so we went to a 2 last night.

    When we saw the 3, we knew we could only afford to get a small pizza, so we would have enough money left for 4. Before long our pizza that was cut to 4 pieces arrived. My husband wanted to act like a 5, so he would like to put a piece of 6 on my plate. Unluckily it dropped onto the 7. I knew he would be 8 about others' opinions on him. I told him, "Honey, don't let other people 9 us. We still have three pieces left."

    The manager 10 this and came over with a broom (扫帚). He 11 the pizza and said he was 12 that the oven (烤箱) had been turned off, or he would have 13 another pizza for us. At the end of our meal he 14 to our table again to thank us for being here. Then he 15 us one coupon (优惠券) for a free small pizza. We were 16because he could have chosen a 17 attitude (态度) when he saw the pizza we dropped during their closing time. Instead he chose to make sure we could left 18. My husband was going to give him tips for our meal that we had prepared, 19 the manager didn't take them. To some people it might not be important, but to us it meant a lot. Our rare treat of enjoying a night out was made more 20.