It was five years since I had become a mother, and I felt like I had slowly been losing more and more of myself. I looked in the mirror one morning and saw a tired, crazy woman, and I just wanted to cry. And just like that my new journey into becoming a “do less” mom began. I remember the first time I tried it. I had rushed to get my kids from school after work, arriving home completely shattered(散架了).

    I made myself a lovely cup of hot tea and headed to the sofa, I lay down and closed my eyes. At this point, all three of my kids stopped speaking and just stared. My eldest broke the silence and asked, “What are you doing mommy?” I replied: “I'm resting.” It took the kids a few more minutes to realize I wasn't going anywhere and they did eventually leave me alone. They even figured out that they should probably take their coats off. I did not cook dinner that night--we ordered in. I did not put on a wash; instead, I told the kids they had better not get their clothes dirty during dinner because they are wearing them again tomorrow. We skipped the bath and watched a movie all on the sofa.

    To my amazement--no one died. The house did not fall apart. The kids were happy and fed but most importantly, when I looked into the mirror that night, I could see that woman I remember. The fun, silly woman who truly thinks she is still 25 years old, who loves ice cream and traveling and music and drinking wine. And I went to bed a bit happier that night knowing that although the road is still long, I am finally on the right track.

    If anyone knows what makes a great children's book,it must be Sussex author and illustrator(插图家) Jane Hissey. Her " Old Bear" books have achieved classic status in a variety of formats.

    I caught up with Jane at her home in the East Sussex countryside and asked her what she thinks is the secret of a classic children's book. "That's a difficult one. I suppose it's got to be relevant to the child's stage of development-for young children, pictures on a page that are familiar, for older children, an experience. The book should be familiar,but hold some surprises too to keep the interest. It must inspire and delight, but there are the things that happen every day. "

    After the birth of her first child,she gave up teaching and worked on her own artwork, drawing pictures of teddy bears. An editor from a publishing company saw her work and invited Jane to do a children's book. Over the years, from the first " Old Bear" book in 1988,her children have made a huge contribution-not least in terms of plot. She said, "I used to give my children the toys to play with-and they had tea parties and so on. One of my bear characters,"Little Bear",is the same age as Ralph, my youngest, who's seven now. All the children have joined in my work and,in years to come, they will realize how much. "

    "I hope I'll know when people are getting tired of the characters. If ever they did, I think I'd go on drawing them for fun," Jane continued," My own children have been very useful to me in my work, but as they are older now, I'll just have to hope that other people's children can inspire me. "

    They like using the Internet. They have lots of pocket money to spend．And they spend a higher proportion of it online than the rest of us. Teenagers are just the sort of people an online seller is interested in, and the things they want to buy — games, CDs and clothing — are easily sold on the Web.

    But paying online is a tricky business for consumers who are too young to own credit cards. Most have to use a parent's card. They want a service that allows them to spend money.

    That may come sooner than they think: new ways to take pocket money into cyber (网络的) space are coming out rapidly on both sides of the Atlantic. If successful, these products can stimulate (刺激)online sales.

    In general, teenagers spend huge amounts: $153bn (billion) in the US last year and ￡20bn annually in the UK．Most teenagers have access to the Internet at home or at school — 88 percent in the US, 69 percent in the UK. According to the Jupiter Research, one in eight of those with Internet access has bought something online — mainly CDs and books.

    In most cases, parents pay for these purchases with credit cards, an arrangement that is often unsatisfactory for them and their children. Pressing parents to spend online is less productive than pressing on the high street. They are more likely to ask “Why?” if you ask to spend some money online.

    One way to help teenagers change notes and coins into cyber cash is through prepaid cards such as Internet Cash in the US and Smart cards in the UK. Similar to those for pay-as-you-go mobile telephones, they are sold in amounts such as￡20 or $50 with a concealed (隐藏的) 14-digit number that can be used to load the cash into an online account.

    That woman carried a new blanket (毛毯) over her arm. Wordlessly, she gave it to me.

    “Is it finished?” I asked.

    She shook her head. “No. It is ready,” she replied. I handed her the money and took the blanket.

    “It is beautiful, so skillfully woven (编织),” I said to my mother. “But what did she mean when she said it was not finished? How can it be ready if it is not finished?”

    “I will tell you later,” my mother said, “but first I will take you to the Navajo village.”

    We went down to the village. A group of young men were making sand pictures. We walked through the whole village, watching the different things the people were doing.

    It was not until that evening that my mother finally explained the Navajo woman's words.

    “Did you notice anything about the things the people were making?” my mother asked.

    “What should I have noticed?” I looked at her and asked.

    “Each thing the Navajo make has one small part that is not complete. The designs (设计) in their sand pictures are often not perfectly done, for example —the line of a circle may not quite close. If you look carefully at your blanket, you will probably find a stitch (一针) missing.”

    I took the blanket off, but it looked as perfect as any design could be. Then suddenly, I noticed that sure enough a stitch was missing!

    “But why do the Navajo intentionally leave some tiny part unfinished?” I asked.

    “They believe that when anything is completed or finished, it means the end has come — it will not be perfect until then. Then too, with a circle, they believe that they must leave a pathway for the bad spirits to run away and the good spirits to come in. So, often, they do not make the line close.”

    I stepped on the red carpet and smiled as the cameras rushed up to take pictures. I slowly walked into the large hall of my first Hollywood premiere(首映). I had designed the special effects for the hottest movie on the market. Later, a friend of mine came with a big smile on her face. “I'm sure you have never thought that you would be here,” she said excitedly. I calmly smiled back in return.

    Having never had great opportunities, I've worked long and hard to create a bright future. Though I grew up in a poor family, I never doubted that my future goals would be connected with computers. In middle school I became the producer of a daily news television show.

    My future goal became even more possible when a new high school in my area held a technology program created for students interested in technology related jobs. Through the program I was able to learn about computer design and gain experience through a part-time job with a local computer company. Whenever a new movie came out, I would find out the company which created the special effects for the movie. At the same time, I researched job positions on the Internet. The companies on the Internet suggested universities and degrees on their websites. I planned on studying Computer Science.

    Though I didn't give up my dreams, I continued to pay my attention to daily events. I took part in a large number of activities to broaden my view on life. I worked hard in school to develop my mind. I communicated with people who could give me advice about any problem I might meet along the way. And now, after years of preparation, my hard work is paying off. I know I have succeeded because I put my goals into action.

    I want to talk about a soldier. I saw him yesterday as my husband and I were enjoying a wonderful lunch in the cave-like dining room of an old hotel.

    It is hard to imagine being comfortable in a room that probably seats a thousand, but the real magic of the place is its wonderful setting. Every comer is a wood and stone masterpiece, with high glass windows that look out to the huge cliffs of the valley.

    A man entered with his family and took a seat. He wasn't in uniform, but he walked with the dignity of a soldier, and a slight limp (瘸). My suspicion was confirmed when he removed his hat and placed it on the table where I could see it. Embroidered (绣) on the cap were the words: "Iwo Jima Survivor".

    As they were waiting for lunch, the others talking happily, this gentleman was stating out of the window. He was content to be left out of the conversation and allowed to take in the wonderful and impressive view of the waterfall.

    I watched him, and imagined how much horror he had seen in the war. What losses did he suffer, and how many friends did he lose? What he had witnessed should have given him a good reason to lose faith in the world. Yet this tired soldier was smiling at the sky, at the sun and the roaring of the waterfall. Somehow, after everything, the world was still beautiful to him.

    I walked over to him and said, "Excuse me, sir. I'm sorry to interrupt, but I saw your hat, and I just wanted to say thank you for serving."

    He looked up at me, surprised, and said proudly, "You're welcome, and thank you, too."

    I told him I would go home and tell my children about this experience that I'd met him.