I work as a volunteer for the poor in Haiti. I decided to take my son Brain there for a week, hoping to educate(教育) him.

Before getting out, I told Brain this trip would be tiring and hard. For the first two days, he said almost nothing. Then on the third day, when we were climbing over high rocky mountains, he turned to me and smiled, “Really hard.”

    After that, a five-year-old girl, wearing a too large dress and broken shoes, followed Brain around. Later he said regretfully(遗憾地), “I wish I could speak French.” I was surprised that this was from a boy. He always hated French classes.

    One day, I was interviewing(采访) a woman villager for an article. By working hard, she had learned to read and write and became part of the leadership(领导层) of the village. That really touched my heart.

    Learning her story, Brain was greatly touched. His eyes were wet and there was love and respect(尊重) on his face. He finally understood the importance of my work. When leaving for home, Brain even offered(提供) to stay in as a volunteer. This trip was very meaningful.

    A boy goes to the cinema. He buys a ticket and goes in. But after two or three minutes he comes out. He buys a second ticket and goes in again. After a few minutes he comes out again and buys a third ticket. Two or three minutes after that he comes out a third time and asks for another ticket. The ticket seller says to him, "Why are you buying all these? Are you meeting friends in the cinema all the time?" The boy says, "No, I'm not doing that, but a big woman always stops me at the door and tear(撕掉) my tickets up."

    Imagine moving to a new country. There you know almost no one and you don't speak the language. Eighty years ago, my grandmother, Jean Rizzi, did just that.

    Like so many immigrants from Europe, her first stop in America was Ellis Island, in New York. The immigration station on Ellis Island opened 125 years ago. From 1892 to 1954, over 12 million foreigners entered America through Ellis Island.

    My grandmother's journey started near Naples, Italy. Her father got a job in New York years earlier. After he saved enough money, he sent for his family to join him. In November 1936, his wife and three kids got on a ship to New York. At just 8 years old, my grandmother didn't know what to expect. "I was nervous," she says. "But I was also excited about finally getting to see my new home in big city."

    For nearly two weeks, they were at sea and couldn't see any land. They all stayed in one small room on the boat.  When the boat arrived at Ellis Island, my grandmother thought the journey was over. But she and her family still had to be examined by doctors. Finally, they were off to their new home in Queens, New York. My grandmother still lives there.

    Ellis Island is now a popular tourist attraction in New York. More than 3 million people visit it each year. To immigrants like my grandmother, the island is a symbol of freedom and the American dream.

    It was in August 1999 that I decided to come to China to work as a language teacher.

    I taught in Zhongshan City. Guangdong, for six months before moving to Ningbo. I came to Wanli University in 2000, and I taught there for five years. My time in Ningbo is great. I've met many wonderful Chinese teachers.

    I came to China with the idea of helping Chinese friends learn English better, and I have achieved this many times. I've traveled to many places in China, and I find that Ningbo is my favorite place.

    When I first came to Ningbo in 2000, it wasn't as clean as it is now. However, I found that this is a great city to live in. When I arrived, there was one McDonalds, and three KFC's. But we didn't get a Starbucks until 2002.

    I've really enjoyed spending my time here, especially now that I have found my beautiful wife, and we will be having our first child in Ningbo. Maybe she or he will learn Ningbo dialect（方言）, to talk with the grandparents.

    While staying in Ningbo, I have found that many people can understand English, but are very shy to speak out. I'm telling you now, it is only a language, and don't be afraid to talk, just remember, "Nobody is perfect. "

    Several months ago, my husband and I were on an island for a long weekend with our five-year-old twin daughters. As we went back and talked about what to do next, our girls jumped in and told us exactly what they wanted to do. "We want to go to the butterfly museum," said Emily and Hanna.

    As soon as we walked into the main area of the museum, we saw thousands of beautiful butterflies. They all flapped (拍打) their colourful wings.

    My girls were jumping up and down, and I knew it was right for us to take them to the museum. They were having so much fun.

    I turned to our museum tour guide because I was curious (好奇的) and asked, "How long do butterflies live?"

    She said, "About ten days."

    "What can butterflies do in ten days?" I asked.

    The guide stopped, looked at me, and said, "They make the world a more beautiful place."

    "Wow," I said, "I never thought about butterflies like that. Thank you."

    After we said goodbye, I couldn't stop thinking about what the guide had said. She was right. We all have something to give the world with the time we have. When we put our gifts on taking care of each other every day, we can make a difference.

    Appreciate (欣赏) the impact (影响) you can have on your family, friends, co-workers and neighbours. Like a butterfly, you have your own way of making the world more beautiful for everyone.