One day while I was on the road, 1 a corner with flowers and a flag where somebody special got  2 .

    The next day when I passed this accident site again, I simply had to stop an  3 a prayer and since I had some flowers in my car, I put them down next to all the other flower 4 . 5 I went back in my car I asked myself: “Why am I stopping here? I do not even know this person?”

That night I had a very 6 dream. All of a sudden this young handsome man 7 to me and said: “Hello! I am Rocky—please tell my mom that I am OK and that I 8 her” and then he disappeared.

    When I woke up, I could not get this young man and his  9 out of my mind. I do not know Rocky and neither do I know his dear mom—so how in the world may I  10 his message to his mother? I asked God to help me.

    About two weeks later I went to  11 up my car at a nearby gas station. When I paid for my gasoline, I  12 the lady's necklace which was 13 like a star. When she took my money, she said that the  14 of her son are in there.

    I will never  15 this moment when everything became still and so  16 . I put my hand on hers and asked her: “What is your son's name?” and when she said “Rocky”, our eyes connected  17 and were filled with tears. I was  18 and not able to respond.

    I drove home sobbing. What I did should  19 the young man's dream into reality. I then wrote a note for Rocky's mom, telling her that her 20 'baby boy' visited me in my dreams and the he wanted me to tell her that he is OK and that he loves her.

    My journal book is new and in style and there are inspirational words on its cover. Hers is old and leather-bound. As different as the 1 are, the two journals contain many of the same thoughts, quotes, and personal stories about our very different 2.

    We found our connection 3. One summer holiday, I visited my grandmother. 4 I would stay only for a few days, I couldn't part with my journal. I 5 my habit of putting it under my pillow. My grandmother 6 it as she made my bed. I felt 7 that she had found my collection of literary treasures at first. Instead of 8 me, my grandmother brought me to her bedroom and brought out her own 9.

    That night, we 10 a few articles, mine from the past few years and 11 from the past few decades. We laughed at funny stories, 12 at heartbreaks with tears on our faces, and were surprised to find we are so 13.

    I was excited to find a friend who also 14 writing and quote collecting. We were astonished when we saw that we both had 15 the same quote about the truth of experience.

    The connection my grandmother and I share goes 16 literature. Although my grandmother is a Ph.D. who has written some books on education, she has never 17 her study journey. She always reminds me that she will continue to be a 18 for the rest of her life. I 19 her for so many things, but perhaps it is her way on 20 that I find most inspiring.

    I think I will never forget the special day in November. It was hotter than normal. This was the 1 my father and I had waited so long for, because we had been working towards this race for three years. Dozens of familiar faces from church and school flashed across my view. They had come 2 me. I saw worry and 3 on my father's face. Then the race began!

    For the first two and a half miles, I felt 4. I had never before been so ready for something. The weeks leading up to the race were filled with controlled 5 and a strict diet. My friends hadn't seen me in weeks, but they understood the 6required to make my dream a reality. As in all of my races，I didn't 7 out in the front. I loved the pleasure of passing people as my strength overtook their premature speed.

    Then without warning，my strength began to decrease. Neck and neck with one of my greatest competitors, I 8 see the finish line. I had begun the final dash into 9 when my knees became weak and my legs gave way. Nothing I could do would make them 10 weight.

    I watched as runners rushed by me. 11 I knew my dreams of victory were destroyed, I had to finish the race. However, my legs hurt badly. With all of the 12 left in me, I got on my hands and knees and crawled (爬), inch by inch, across the finish line. Voices, both 13 and familiar, cheered me on. They gave me the courage to keep 14 until the very end.

    The doctors were there in seconds, but my eyes searched the crowd for him. There was only one person I wanted to 15 to. I whispered, “I' m so sorry, Dad, I'm so sorry I 16 you.” He looked at me, saying, “You could never disappoint me. Sometimes these things just 17. All that matters is that you did your best.”

    “But we worked so 18. What about our dream?” He reached over for my hand and said, “Don't you know that you are my dream and it has come true?”

    It wasn't long before my running shoes were back on, marking a 19 path for my journey. I learned that all of the miles, the tears, the sweat, and the pain my dad and I experienced together were not for a 20. What I realized, though, was that to him, I was the greatest prize he had ever won.

    Julie was one of my favorite students at the University of Nebraska. I remember her coming to me after class one day. While most students hurriedly left, Julie1to ask questions about the next week's exam.

    Julie never2it to the exam, though. The day after our conversation, she was tragically struck by a truck.

    In Julie's ward, her parents stood in quiet3. The physician entered, cleared his4, and said, “Your Julie has only a few5to live.” He felt the6to ask, “Would you consider donating some of her organs?”

    7, in a neighboring state, Mary leaned forward, her eyes following every movement of her child. She was8memories to enjoy when she could no longer9him.

    Several states away, John, 26, was reading to his sons, his body connected to a life-giving “artificial kidney”. Doctors had given him a10of only weeks to live. His only hope was a kidney transplant.

    Julie's grief-stricken parents11the physician's question in their mind. Julie had once said she wanted to be an organ donor12her death.13as they were, they turned to the physician, responding, “Yes. Julie always gave to others while living. She would want to give in death.”

    Within 24 hours, Mary was informed she would receive one of Julie's eyes, and John was told to prepare for a kidney transplant. Julie's other organs would give life and14to other waiting recipients.

    “Julie died right after her twentieth birthday. My heart breaks again and again, at each birthday, at each15: when she might have graduated; when she might have married…” says Julie's mother. “But Julie's life was a16to us. Knowing that in her death, she gave life and sight to others is17to us, and remembering that we carried out her18has helped us19 the loss of her.”

    I may have had a small part in teaching Julie how to live. But she, and her family, are still teaching me an even greater lesson how to20.

We lived in an old building on a farm years ago. It was a wonderful house for children. Also on the farm was the old 1building for the wood company my grandfather had 2. It was a few hundred feet of the house. There was a big sign across the front 3"office." Later it was no longer 4as an office, so it became my playhouse.

    In the room was a safe that my grandfather used for his 5.It was locked. We didn't know what was inside, 6none of the family ever tried to open it. I used it for a 7. I had my dishes and little things on it.

    One night there was a terrible 8. I was always afraid of it, so when I heard the thunder, I 9out of bed and ran downstairs to my parents. They comforted me and 10me the storm was about over.

    The next day when I went back to my 11, I opened the door and discovered papers spread all over the floor. The front of the safe was 12and my little dishes were all around the room. It was a 13!

    I ran to tell my parents what I'd seen. Soon it was 14all over the neighborhood. Of course, that's an extraordinary 15, and everyone wanted to see the damaged safe. Maybe someone thought there was 16in it.

The loud "thunder" I heard during the night had almost 17the safe, so it was 18for some men to blew it apart. But we just saw some papers and several books. Everybody calmed down and left 19.

    Later I still used the damaged safe as a table, but years later, the picture of that old safe and the people's expression 20me.

    My whole life began to make more sense after I was diagnosed with Turner syndrome (特纳综合征) at 12. Before that, I 1 understood why when the rest of my classmates were growing like weeds, I 2 a seed stuck in the ground. I had always struggled being the 3 girl in my class and was known as "Shorty". Though this 4 me deeply, I refused to let my classmates 5 my enthusiasm for school and learning. I 6 lots of after-school activities, though they sometimes presented problems. Because girls with Turner syndrome tend to have 7 coordination (协调), I hardly had any athletic ability. I loved to sing, but it proved 8to share a microphone with a group of girls seven inches taller. Despite this, I 9 to drive myself to prove that heart and brains could make up for lack of 10. Once diagnosed, I was given a 11plan that involved daily growth hormone (激素) injections. I am the type of person who 12 a doctor's appointment for weeks in advance, 13 getting used to injections every day —and even worse, giving them to myself —was a true test of my character. 14 , I got over this difficulty and after five years, I have grown 11 inches. This was a(n) 15 response and I consider it my own little miracle. I am not 16 that I have Turner syndrome. It has built up my character and 17 me into the person I am today. I have learned that you need to try your best to 18 the difficulties in your life. Someone once told me, "No one can make you feel inferior (自卑) without your permission." This statement has always 19 me and so I will journey on to the next stage of my life with 20 and self-confidence.