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.

    “I have a letter for you,” my friend Kirsten told me on the phone. “I think it's from your mother.” I was 1 since my mother had been 2 for seven years.

    A few weeks later Kirsten handed me the 3 dated Aug. 30, 2002. Around then I was preparing for my pilot course's final exam at the 4 school. The students finished the training on5 days.

    I was the first to6. My mother's letter 7after I left. Kirsten picked it up from my mail-box, to keep8 she next saw me9 a few days later, when it was her turn to leave, she 10the letter among the piles of papers she11 packed into boxes. It12there for a decade, during which my mother died. In 2013, when Kirsten 13 some dusty belongings from her flying school days, she 14the letter.

    It's been two years since Kirsten gave me the letter which I've carried on my long flights. But I haven't15 it yet. When I told some friends this, they 16their heads. They said they wouldn't have been able to wait a second. Of course, I17How could I not? -about her 18 in the envelope. Surely, I think, she had written to wish me luck, ask about my life and tell me the news from 19to make me at ease. However, for now it's20 to look at her handwriting on the envelope, and to remember that until I open it, I know I'll hear from her once more.

    We were depressed and things were tough. Mom had a 1time raising us on her own because Dad died five years ago. We relied on social assistance for 2.

    Looking back, I 3remember what Mom went through to send us to school. I studied hard then. Every morning, she would put a new piece of cardboard in our shoes because our shoes were 4. Constant moving was typical for my family in these times. Rent was 25 dollars a month but Mom couldn't 5it. Though it was hard, we never 6. Christmas was approaching. We were given 25 dollars for social services. Instead of buying food, Mom would use the money to pay the 7, ensuring us all of a 8over our head.9we had nothing for Christmas.

    Unknown to Mom, I had been selling Christmas trees to earn enough money for a new pair of 10. On the afternoon of Christmas Eve, I was 11to go to catch the bus.

    As I reached the stop, I began to feel 12. I was going to buy a new pair of boots13Mom was at home in tears.  My mind was 14and I realized what I had to do. I didn't get on the 15.

    I went in a grocery store and bought the Christmas treats. I 16home and put them quietly against the door. I knocked on the door. When Mom opened the door, 17rolled into the house. She just stood there 18. I managed to hold back the 19, saying, "Merry Christmas, Mom! There really is a Santa Claus!"

    That day I got many 20and kisses from Mom. It was a Merry Christmas for us after all!

    Last summer I went on a two-day river rafting trip with my teenage daughter as the river guide. I was proud to see my baby girl 1 and confidently moving our raft through a variety of2 white-water conditions. I also found it3to have my daughter giving commands and barking4 as to when and how to paddle(用桨划船).

    As we approached the largest5 on the river I could feel my heart beating faster. Upon 6 the turbulent(湍急的) water, our boat got 7 on a large rock. I was in the front of the boat and reached 8 with my paddle, thinking I would help 9 us away from the rock. In the next instant I could feel myself falling out of the boat and into the river. I did have my moments of 10 and terror.

    This resistance disappeared quickly, 11 I landed in the cold, powerfully turbulent water. 12 my high-quality flotation vest, I was pulled underwater, 13 thankfully, within seconds I popped(冒出) back up to the 14. A few moments later one of the other trip leaders called for me to 15 toward his boat, where I was quickly pulled up and in. I was shaken, out of breath, and quite 16to be out of the turbulent water.

    An equivalent of this experience happens all the time in our lives. This is life. You cannot count on things going 17. When we do, we often 18 disappointed and unhappy. Resisting 19, which often arrives suddenly and unexpectedly, keeps us from 20  the scenario(可能要发生的事) unfolding before us clearly, and it can keep us from acting in ways that are smart and effective and that lead to results that make us feel good and proud of ourselves.

    I was ready to pay for my bananas at the grocery one night, when fear seized me. My wallet was gone. I could only have left it on the G9 bus, which was now speeding in the dark to some1station.

    The2moment was quickly followed by mental math. How much time and money would it cost to replace the3of that little wallet？The credit cards, the driver's license, the cash, all lost to the bus.

    Two hours later, back at my house, I heard a knock on the door. My husband 4it while I was on the phone in the dining room. "Does Jennifer live here?" I heard a lady say. In my husband's hand was my wallet, with not a penny5. She left before I could 6 make it to the door to offer my thanks.

    After sharing the story online, I heard from someone, who 7 the lady as Erin Smith. Without 8 , I called to thank her. She said she 9 my wallet on a bus seat. She10that going to a stranger's house was a 11 move, but she decided to take the chance. "If I were in that 12. I would want someone to try to find me," she said.

    This one stranger responded beautifully to my small 13 , but she actually wasn't the only one. Right after Erin 14 my wallet on the bus, she posted a picture of my driver's license to an online forum（论坛）, trying to see 15 anyone knew me. No sooner did she leave my doorstep than I had emails from two women whose kids go to my son's nursery and who recognized my face. I've never 16 words with those moms beyond small talk, but they wanted to help. I read that people are more divided than ever, but that's not how the people I17tend to act.

    18, I feel blessed someone had wanted to help a stranger. Erin had gone 19what almost anyone would have done, finding my house on a bitterly cold night, and for that I was extremely 20 .

Some Ohio high school students have become winners in a national contest (竞赛) after inventing a mobile phone app that helps needy families find local food pantries (公益食品仓库).

And someday the teens, who are students at Ross High School in Ross Township, may be selling the app to food pantries and food banks across America.

The app was created as part of a computer science class — coordinated (协调) by Butler Tech career school system at the high school. Three students, Jacob Kahmann, Gunner Nonnamaker and Kyle Inderhees, recently were visited by Congressman Warren Davidson, who praised their work. Davidson lauded the teens for creating "this app to set the standard for efficient food collection and distribution (分发)".

Butler Tech IT Instructor Tom O'Neill said the students' app includes characteristics that help users locate the nearest food pantry and improve food collection processes, and that the national contest provides a real-life learning chance for his students.

The students are continuing to make additions to the app and are working on turning it into a product, said O'Neill, who in recent years has helped many Ross High School teens win national honors for their computer-science-based inventions.

"The teachers and students in the Ross School District continue to amaze me with their future-thinking and creation," said Superintendent Scott Gates. "Our students are not only thinking about careers, they are thinking about problems they want to change, solve or improve. The app that was created will make serving a population in need more efficient."