The journey my daughter Cathy has had with her swimming is as long as it is beautiful.

    Cathy suffered some terrible 1her early childhood. After years of regular treatment, she 2 became healthy.

    Two years ago, while Cathy was watching the Olympics, a dream came into her sweet little head—to be a swimmer. Last summer,she wanted to3 out local swim team. She practiced hard and finally 4 it. The team practice, 5 was a rough start. She coughed and choked and could hardly 6 her first few weeks. Hearing her coughing bitterly one night, I decided to7 her from it all. But Cathy woke me up early next morning, wearing her swim suit 8 to go! I told her she shouldn't swim after a whole night's coughing, but she refused to 9 and insisted she go.

From that day on, Cathy kept swimming and didn't 10 a single practice. She had a 11 intention within herself to be the best she could be. My ten-year-old was growing and changing right before my eyes, into this 12 human being with a passion and a mission. There were moments of 13 of course: often she would be the last swimmer in the race. It was difficult for Cathy to accept that she wasn't a 14—ever. But that didn't stop her from trying.

      Then came the final awards ceremony at the end of the year. Cathy didn't expect any award but was still there to  15 her friends and praise their accomplishments. As the ceremony was nearing the end, I suddenly heard the head coach 16, “The highest honor goes to Cathy!” Looking around, he continued, “Cathy has inspired us with her  17 and enthusiasm.  18 skills and talents bring great success, the most valuable asset(财富)one can hold is the heart.”

     It was the greatest  19 of my daughter's life. With all she had been 20 in her ten years, this was the hour of true triumph(成功).

    As we slowly drove down the street on that cold December evening, we spotted the porch（门廊）light. “This 1be the house." I told our "Positive Teens In Action" group with certainty. We2in front of an older home with the porch light shining. We gathered up our 3 books, walked up the steps, and4on the door. We heard a 5 voice from inside say, "Come in. The door is open." We opened the door.

    There in a rocking chair 6 an elderly woman with a big 7 on her face. "I've been8you,"she said weakly. Ruth was one of our "Meals On Wheels" stops I had9. I had phoned her and told her about it. Going along with me were the10 church members who 11 singing carols（颁歌）.

    We 12 Ruth the basket of delicious food the teens had prepared earlier that evening. Then I asked Ruth what carols she would like to 13Ruth was smiling cheerfully when she 14 singing each song.

    15we hugged Ruth good-bye, she said to me with tears in her eyes, “The day you 16 I was still in bed. l had just finished17 .I asked God if it would be possible to have some Christmas carolers come to my home and18 this year. Thank you for being the 19to my Christmas prayer."

    Wow, what an awesome 20 to have the opportunity to make Ruth quite content!

    If we redouble our efforts, our dream will come true. Chen zuobin had1for 13 years already. Finally, he decided to become a2again. Born in a mountain village in Anhui province, Chen Zuobin walked out of the3 for study when he was 19. Though he had a4life as a creative director of an international agency in Shanghai, he couldn't5the anxiety appearing in his dreams. "I6about countless branch roads several times a year, I didn't know which one leads to7. It made me feel terrible." One day, Chen Zuobin woke up and said to his wife," I want to go home."8being surprised, his wife said, "9your heart. Don't worry about me. "

    The young couple returned to their hometown and10the Real Food Farm just to lead a real and simple life. Chen Zuobin shook off the11and tiredness from too much12in the city. Only in the mountains can they enjoy the13air. There isn't the smell of tail gas, but the smell of14when it shines over the woods. They live a life of "eating healthily and15well."

    In a time when eating 16 becomes a luxury (奢侈)in the 17 life, it's truly a right way to return to the 18. "Life is a journey of19the proper way. " said Chen Zuobin.

    Those dreams about branch roads have 20 because he has found his own path.

Overcome the Fear for Your Dream

    I stood nervously behind the red curtain and glanced out across the stage. A girl about my age sat at a piano; I could see her fingertips moving over the black and white keys in front of her. The beautiful melody (旋律) was so relaxing, 1 my body tensed with anxiety.

    My body 2 when the girl stood up from the bench. It was finally my turn. A part of me wanted to run home and 3 under my bed, but I knew I had chosen to 4. When the girl onstage walked toward me, I could hear my heart beating 5. The girl had a proud smile on her face and when she passed me, I heard her say “Good 6”!

    “Well, here goes nothing.” I said to myself.

    I stepped onto the 7 and walked slowly toward the piano. The bright lights nearly 8 me, making it difficult to see the audience. When I reached the 9, I automatically slid onto the bench into position. The sounds of whispering and people walking around gave way to complete silence. I stared at my 10 fingers and for a moment my mind went 11. Closing my eyes, I imagined the music sitting in front of me and tried to recall every tiny detail.

    Finally, I took a deep breath and began to play Beethoven's Moonlight sonata（协奏曲）. The rich tones of the piano rang out. One by one, each muscle in my body loosened and relaxed. I sat on the bench and my 12 danced over the row of black and white keys as if they had a mind of their own.

    All the practice and 13 I put in for six months showed this was what my teacher was pushing for. I tried to 14 all the things she reminded me to do. “Keep your wrists up, relax your arms, don't raise your shoulders… ” I remembered feeling slightly annoyed hearing these things continuously, but I never realized until now how it really 15.

    When I reached the end of the piece, the audience started 16. I rose from the bench and gave a deep bow. A proud smile 17 up my face. Inside I felt 18 that it was over and that I had done so well. As the applause died down, I turned and walked to the other side of the stage. I saw a young boy standing nervously behind the red curtains staring 19out at the stage. When I walked by, I passed to him the two words that were given to me for20: Good luck!

    Sitting in my favorite restaurant one day I noticed a man come in. He looked 1 and mad with the world, a look I had 2 many times before. I gave him my happy "good morning"3 but his response was still less than 4. He looked at me, sat down and 5 his head in the menu.

    I was not 6 by his response but I wondered if he would 7 and give just a small hello or smile. Over an hour passed and every time he looked my way, he looked meaner (低劣的) and meaner. Finally he called the 8 over to 9 his bill. I turned my head away for just a 10 and he was gone quickly. 

    I looked down at his 11 and there was a beautiful rolled up $ 100 bill on it. I was in shock. I 12 got up to get the cash. In my head Right and Wrong were fighting it out. Before I knew it, I was 13 behind the man to offer this 14 back to him. Out of breath, I said, "Sir, did you 15 this?" He looked shocked. His face turned 16 and a big lump (块) that could 17 an elephant came in his throat. He looked at the ground and finally said "yes", and then he slowly said "thank you".

    Without 18 looking at me, he turned around, got in his car and 19 away. I said "thank you" to God for letting me change one person's 20 towards friendly strangers.

    My mother and her family kept information about my father and his family a secret from me for over half a century. In 2010 I began to 1 my father through Ancestry.com. However, I learned he had 2 cancer on August 6, 1999 in a hospital in Dallas, Texas.

    When I got my father's death 3, the medical examiner told me because my father had no 4 around the city, they buried him in a body bag in a(n) 5 grave in an old cemetery.

    I knew my father 6 in WW2 so I decided to work on getting his remains 7 to my state to be buried in our national cemetery. From 2011 to 2017 I kept working on 8 my debt from a divorce and increasing my 9 score so someday I could get a personal loan.

    That certificate of 10 service proved my father served 43 months in WW2 in the USA Army Air Force fighting the Nazi's. I still did not have the money 11. In July of 2018 a bank approved a $10, 000 personal loan so I had a funeral director 12 a permit to exhume my father. After 4 months of 13 I asked Senator Brown for help again in November. Six days after he contacted Texas officials a permit was 14.

    On July 9, 2019 an airplane will 15 at the Cleveland Hopkins International Airport 16 I will be finally 17 with my father and touch his metal casket and the missing piece of my heart will be 18.

    On January 10, 2019 the Ohio Patriot Guard Riders will escort my father's hearse through my 19 to be buried with honors in our states National cemetery and one day in January Senator Brown will have an American Flag 20 over our Nation's Capital to honor my father.

    If you never give up one day your dream will become a reality.