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          One early morning, I went into the living room to find my mother reading a thick book called Best Loved Poems to Read Again and Again. My interest was aroused only by the fact that the word “Poems”appeared in big, hot pink letters.

      “Is it good?” I asked her.

“Yeah,” she answered. “There's one I really like and you'll like it, too.' I leaned forward.

“‘Patty Poem,'” she read the title. Who is Patty? I wondered. The poem began:

She never puts her toys away,

                Just leaves them scattered(散乱的)where they lay,…      

The poem was just three short sections. The final one came quickly:

          When she grows and gathers poise(稳重),        

           I'll miss her harum-scarum(莽撞的) noise,        

           And look in vain(徒劳地) for scattered toys.       

And I'll be sad.      

    A terrible sorrow was hed over me. Whoever Patty was, she was a mean girl. Then,the shock.

“It'syou, honey,” My mother said sadly.

    To my mother, the poem revealed a parent's affection when her child grows up and leaves. To me, the “she” in the poem was horror. It was my mama who would be sad. It was so terrible I burst out crying.

    “What's wrong?” my mother asked.

    “Oh Mama,” I cried. “I don't want to grow up ever!”

      She smiled. “Honey, it's okay. You're not growing up anytime soon. And when you do, I'll still love you, okay?”

    “ Okay,”I was still weeping. My panic has gone. But I could not help thinking about that silly poem. After what seemed like a safe amount of time, I read the poem again and was confused. It all fit so well together, like a puzzle. The language was simple, so simple I could plainly understand its meaning, yet it was still beautiful. I was now fascinated by the idea of poetry, words that had the power to make or break a person's world.

        I have since fallen in love with other poems, but “Patty Poem” remains my poem. After all, “Patty Poem” gave me my love for poetry not because it was the poem that lifted my spirits, but because it was the one that hurt me the most.

    Those who are in love really know each other's thoughts and can see into one another's ice cream bowl.This truth became so clear to me the other day.

    At about 11:00 a.m.,my husband Gary called from work to see what was up at home."Oh nothing,"I said,"just having a little early lunch."Then he said,"So how's the coffee ice cream I bought?"I could almost "hear" him smiling.

    "What?"I was stunned.How in the world did he know I was eating ice cream?I never eat the ice cream, especially in the morning.Besides,he knows that I had been trying to diet again.However,I could hardly hide the laughter in my voice as I calmly asked,"Why would you think I'm eating coffee ice cream?"

    Gary said,"Uh...first,you said 'Just having a little early lunch' in a guilty,high voice.Second,your tongue must be rather cold because your words were a bit slow."What he said made me laugh out loud."The other thing is,I noticed you left some coffee ice cream untouched last night.That was like me hiding some cigarettes in the corner to enjoy later."

    We laughed long and hard together before he asked me gently,"What happened?Er...something must have happened to make you eat ice cream before lunch."

    Suddenly,I felt a rush of love for the man on the other end of the line.He knew me well-cared enough to find out what was bothering me,and trusted me enough to help me laugh at myself.

    My son was a second-grader. He went to school by bus every day. He was the first student on in the morning, as we were farthest from school, and the last student off in the evening. I was a teacher myself and it was a comfort to realize the school staff (职员) were all working as hard as I was to provide a safe learning environment.

    One day I came home from work and waited for my s on to get home for a long time. Then I called the school. “Perhaps he's just a bit late,” said the secretary. “I will call the driver to see if those children are home.” A few minutes later, I answered the phone to hear that the other students were home. Then I called his friends' parents, to see if perhaps he had gotten off at their stop to play. The answers were all “No.”

    By that time, it was dark and I was scared. My home was in the mountain areas, and it was said that a wolf had come up somewhere. My husband wasn't at home, so I forced myself to calm down and decided to go out to look for him. I was about to go out when the telephone rang; it was from the driver. “He's okay,” I heard. “He was asleep on the seats in the back, under a couple of jackets. Since it's dark, can he spend the night with my family?”

    I was relieved and agreed. Since my son had a great adventure, the school started giving a copy of the list to the driver, so he could check off the children's names when they got off the bus. I think highly of the school for taking the cautionary (警戒的) step ahead; it is a sign of their concern for students, parents, and staff.

    You can't imagine how terrible I felt at that time. A month before my first marathon, one of my ankles was injured and this meant not running for two weeks, leaving me only two weeks to train. Yet, I was determined to go ahead.

    I remember back to my 7th year in school. In my first P.E. class, the teacher required us to run laps and then hit a softball. I didn't do either well. He later informed me that I was "not athletic".

    The idea that I was "not athletic" stuck with me for years. When I started running in my 30s, I realized running was a battle against myself, not about competition or whether or not I was athletic. It was all about the battle against my own body and mind. A test of wills!

    The night before my marathon, I dreamt that I couldn't even find the finish line. I woke up sweating and nervous, but ready to prove something to myself.

    Shortly after crossing the start line, my shoe laces(鞋带) became untied. So I stopped to readjust. Not the start I wanted!

    At mile 3, I passed a sign: "GO FOR IT, RUNNERS!"

    By mile17, I became out of breath and the once injured ankle hurt badly. Despite the pain, I stayed the course walking a bit and then running again.

    By mile 21, I was starving!

    As I approached mile 23, I could see my wife waving a sign. She is my biggest fan. She never minded the alarm clock sounding at 4 a.m. or questioned my expenses on running.

    I was one of the final runners to finish. But I finished! And I got a medal. In fact, I got the same medal as the one that the guy who came in first place had.

    Determined to be myself, move forward, free of shame and worldly labels(世俗标签), I can now call myself a "marathon winner".

    I grew up in Bensonhurst, Brooklyn. When the holiday decorations went up, there were houses on my block with trees lit up for Christmas in front yards and behind living room windows. I was born in a Jewish family. Even though I received eight presents for Hanukkah (an eight-day Jewish holiday in November or December), it just wasn't fair. My friends had beautiful trees with lights and presents brought by a man in a red suit. I didn't have a tree, and I lived in an apartment building, so I had no chimney(烟囱).

    That year, some neighbors bought a Christmas tree, but it was too tall for their living rooms. They cut off the top and, knowing I wanted to celebrate Christmas, gave the top to my family. After my parents fell asleep, I opened a window in our apartment. I imagined Santa could park his sleigh(雪橇) on our fire escape. When I woke up the next morning, the window was closed and Santa had delivered a present. I can't even remember what it was, but my memory of the morning lasts.

    My relationship with Santa took a break until my daughter, Amanda, was born in 1992. My wife and I saw no reason to deprive(剥夺) her of meeting Santa. In 1998, a friend of mine portrayed(扮演) Santa at the South Street Seaport in Manhattan. He told me to stop by with my wife and daughter, and asked for their names in advance so he could greet them. When he saw us at the seaport, he greeted us by our names. My daughter's mouth opened wide and she pulled back. Maybe she was too young to appreciate this. But other families waiting to see him seemed delighted by his appearance and the gifts he brought.

    My two children are now grown up and do not visit Santa, and we do not have a Christmas tree, yet our family still enjoys the holiday. On Christmas Eve, in the spirit of the night, we leave a plate of my favorite cookies on the kitchen table in hopes Santa will leave a present.

    If you'd like to go travelling, the following World Heritage Sites may be your best choices.

    Jiuzhaigou Valley Scenic and Historic Interest Area

    Jiuzhaigou Valley, which lies in the northern part of Sichuan Province, China, reaches a height of more than 4, 500m, with a series of different forests ecosystems. It's especially famous for its narrow landforms and excellent waterfalls. Some 140 kinds of birds also live in the valley, as well as a number of endangered plants and animals, including the giant panda. Jiuzhaigou Valley was recognized as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1992.

    Khami Ruins National Monument

    The city of Khami, which developed after the capital of Great Zimbabwe had been given up in the mid-16th century, is of great archaeological (考古的) interest. The discovery of objects from Europe and China shows that Khami was a centre for trade over a long period of time. It joined the World Heritage List in 1986.

    Henderson Island

    Henderson Island, which lies in the eastern South Pacific, is one of the few atolls in the world whose ecology (生态) has been untouched by humans. It is famous for the 10 plants and 4 birds that can only be seen on the island. It was recorded in the World Heritage List in 1988.

    Old City of Jerusalem

    As a holy city for three different religions (宗教) in the Middle East, Jerusalem has always been of great religious importance  It was given a World Heritage status in 1981 and placed on the "List of World Heritage in Danger" the following year.