I was a single parent of four small children, working at a low-paid job. Money was always tight, but we had a 1 over our heads, food on the table, clothes on our backs, and if not a lot, always2. Not knowing we were poor, my kids(孩子们) just thought I was 3. I've always been glad about that.

    It was Christmas time, and although there wasn't 4 for a lot of gifts, we planned to celebrate with a family party. But the big 5 for the kids was the fun of Christmas 6.

    They planned weeks ahead of time, asking 7 what they wanted for Christmas. Fortunately, I had saved $120 for 8 to share by all five of us.

    The big 9 arrived. I gave each kid a twenty-dollar bill and 10 them to look for gifts of about four dollars each. Then everyone scattered(散开). We had two hours to shop; then we would 11at the “Santa's Workshop”.

    Driving home, everyone was in high Christmas spirits, 12 my younger daughter, Ginger, who was unusually 13. She had only one small, flat bag with a few candies— fifty-cent candies! I was so angry, but I didn't say anything 14 we got home. I called her into my bedroom and closed the door,15 to be angry again. This is what she told me：

    “I was looking 16 thinking of what to buy, and I 17to read the little cards on the 'Giving Trees'.One was for a little girl, four years old, and all she 18 for Christmas was a doll(玩具娃娃). So I took the card off the tree and 19 the doll for her. We have so much and she doesn't have anything.”

    I never felt so 20 as I did that day.

    I am a girl, but I was born to be a rebel（叛逆者）. I like games that can be 1 . Some of the sports I like, even boys won't play!

Wrestling（摔跤）is 2  seen as a sport for men, but I 3 to see if I could do it.

    Every Saturday morning, I got out of bed early to go and watch my brother  4 . From morning to night, I would sit watching the5  have all the fun. Since then, wrestling has been part of my 6.

    For three years, I 7  all the boys and became the best player in the team. My 8 memory of wrestling is when a boy walked off  9  because he'd lost to a girl.

    My last 10  was at this year's Girls' State Wrestling Championships.

    I was so  11 . I was sure I would win. My heart was beating hard when the match started. I could see 12  but my competitor. When the final whistle blew, I had  13 by four points. The cameras and 14 all turned to me: I was the new wrestling champion. I felt so15 . But after a few minutes of enjoying being a champion,16began to run through my knee.

    Because I hurt my knee, my 17 of being a national champion ended. Even so, I still18 to wrestle next year when I go to college. I have 19that you can do anything you want if you put your 20 into it.

    One cold Friday the bus was about to come in around 15 minutes. Most of the time I am OK waiting but not this day. So I went to the nearby store and bought something 1 to drink and then came back. A high school girl was there, waiting for the bus, too. She looked 2 and she was shivering（颤抖）because of the cold. I gave her one of the cocoa cans I bought and we had a little3.

    She said that she was quite nervous, being afraid that she would fail her exam in a week. I told her a few encouraging words 4 some funny jokes to make her relax. She seemed to be happy again. She thanked me and told me she wished to see me again. I 5 and thanked her, nodding yes. The bus arrived and I had to 6 in a hurry.

    We may 7 see each other again. But I'm thankful to her for saying “Wish I could meet you again”. It's not easy to say these words. It 8 a strong will and courage to accept an offer from a stranger. In today's world, people are 9 with people they aren't familiar with most of the time. What's more, they seldom trust each other.

    That young girl helped me more than I could have helped her. She touched my heart with a 10 to send wishes of good luck and love to those who are full of emotions and fears.

    On my way back home I was stopped at a traffic light by some people who asked for help. A woman 1 to give way to an ambulance, but drove her car over stony obstacles （阻碍）that 2 the bike line from the street, and had her car 3 as a result. She couldn't move the car in any direction without 4 it. A couple of people tried to lift the car back but the obstacles were too 5. Seeing that they couldn't do much about it, they 6 and the woman in the car tried to call for some 7.

    While watching the other people leave, I 8 the woman would be on her own and I imagined how 9 that would be if I were in her shoes. After some talking, she 10 me to sit inside her car. She called for help and was 11 that it would take about 45 minutes for someone to get there.

    I tried to comfort the woman who seemed to feel 12 about causing others trouble. But 13 it wasn't too much trouble since they could 14 pass, and also there wasn't anything she could do about it anyway. We laughed and joked that all we 15 was some tea for our chat.

    Finally 16 came and helped her back on the street. She thanked me and 17 my phone number so she could return the 18, but I told her it was okay. She seemed to feel much 19 when we said our goodbyes. I believe that not having to face a difficult 20 alone can make a lot of a difference.

    A woman professor walked around in a classroom while she was teaching stress management to her students. 1 she raised a glass of water, 2 expected they would be asked the "half-empty or half-full" question.

    Instead, with a 3 on her face, she asked, “What's the 4 of this glass of water?”5 called out ranged from eight to twenty ounces (盎司).

    She 6 the students down and then replied, "The absolute weight doesn't matter .It all 7 how long I hold it. If I hold it for a minute, it's not a problem. If I hold it for an hour, I'll have a 8 in my arm. If I hold it for a day, my arm will feel numb (麻木) and paralyzed (麻痹). In each 9, the weight of the glass of water doesn't change, but the longer I hold it, the 10 it becomes. Do you know why?"

    All the students kept silent and listened carefully, lost in thought.

    She 11, "Our stresses and 12 in life are like that glass of water. Think about them for a while and nothing 13. Think about them a bit longer and they begin to hurt. And if you think about them all day long, you will feel 14—unable to do anything."

    It's important to 15 to let go of your stresses. As early in the evening as possible, put all your burdens down. Don't 16 them through the evening and into the night Remember to put the glass down!

    More often than not life gets 17 when we think too much. And the moment you 18 your burden, you'll find yourself feeling so much more relaxed.

    So 19 wondering around and feeling sorry for yourself, start doing something about it. After all, life is too short to devote yourself to anything that makes you 20.

    Manuela got up earlier and bought two bags of cat food. She began going to the1 barbershop on the corner, making her weekly visit to see Hussein, the old barber. Hussein was both2 and delighted to see Manuela and the bags of food. The two hurried over to the tiny food dishes lined up in the alley. Several 3 appeared soon.

    As the two 4 and made their way back inside the shop, Hussein's smile 5 and he explained he was about to  6 the barbershop. He had been told to leave within 7 days. His 7barbershop simply couldn't pay enough rent and the landlord had invited another roomer, one who wouldn't be 8 animals outside.

    Manuela's eyes began to9 as Hussein expressed his10 about the homeless cats he cared for. But as fate(命运) would have it, there was something better11 for the barber and his cats. As Manuela's blog supporters read her12 about Hussein, they, one after another,13 donating to him and his cats. Every day for the next week, Manuela went to Hussein with the14 . And on the fourth day, something unbelievable happened when Hussein was able to15a storefront in an old building near his shop. No electricity,16 there was potential. Manuela and other people 17 to help paint and clear rubbish while electricians made all the necessary18 .

    In less than two weeks, the barber was back in19 again. Through the kindness of strangers, 20 , his and his cats' whole world was brought back.