My son Tom taught me a beautiful lesson today. He is three years old and it is amazing hatching him grow up.

    He called out to me today saying, “Papa, sit”. That usually means 1everything and going next to him and sitting down to play with him. I did that, as he can be2and will not stop calling out until I 3 He was playing with beads (珠子), pushing a string through them, which is a great exercise to help 4fine motor skills. Then, after he finished playing with the beads, it was time to put them back in the box that they are stored in. I saw him 5 pick up each bead, look at it 6 it were made of chocolate and then placed it into its box.

    With over a hundred beads to go, I was getting 7“What a long time it will take! Why cannot he8ten beads in one go and drop them in?” said my anxious mind. I noticed that he did this with as much9 as he had while we were playing. I didn't see any 10between his play and his putting away the toy. Obviously he enjoyed both.

    Then it suddenly 11me that this boy was enjoying the whole 12The journey was his goal. For him the13 was in the game and after the game, not just in the fun part. What a great perspective: to live each moment as it is the14moment; to do each task as it is the most awesome task. Nothing else15.

    Looking at how 16 my son was putting beads into the box17 me that the process was the goal. The joy of pilgrimage (朝圣) is not in getting there but in every 18of the journey.

    This is what living in the NOW is all 19 Tom, my son, was showing me that it was about thoroughly enjoying every moment with 20 love and peace.

    At 7 a.m. on October 2, 2016, I got up, feeling excited and nervous. The first thought on my mind was, “Today's game is my first1football game.” I've played before but not like this, Not in pads (护具), not with a helmet on my head, my heart started beating faster. I 2finished breakfast and left for the field.

    The whole time on the bus, I felt sick and nervous. Finally, I reached the field3that white number 7 jersey (运动衫) for the first time made me feel great. I felt like4was my fortune.

    We stood there. By the look on our faces, you could see who had 5before and who hadn't. To me, it felt like a war. I was a(n)6soldier going into battle. Now I know that feeling was fear. We had7but not the real game. In training, we took a form and knew each other. In the8you don't know your opponent's strength. Everything just happened 9you know it was happening.

    We did warm-ups, some of us couldn't 10to play, jumping around and yelling. Others stood still waiting for direction. The referees came out. We knew the game11came. As a captain, I went out for the coin toss to see which team would get the ball first. Campus Magnet won the coin toss. They12to receive.

    Soon the game 13I tracked down the ball carrier and ran at a full speed. I lowered my shoulders and ran into his side with all my 14knocking him down and at the same time knocking my15out. I stood to my feet and16what I had done. I'd made my first tackle (阻截). I was 17my dream, feeling renewed, That tackle 18me, giving me strength, confidence and the desire to go on.

    We 19that game—48 to 6. That year we went undefeated20every team on our schedule, I was rated the best receiver in our division.

    I often show my students inspiring videos to start their day. I never know which ones will make a huge impact, 1 I know they always reach the kids on some level. I recently showed my kids a video, where the 2 was “I am enough.”

    When the 3 was over, I had each child say out loud, “I am enough.” It was 4 to see their backs straighten and their faces 5 as they declared this for themselves.

    I posted about this on my Facebook page and how 6 I felt to get to work with such openhearted, amazing kids. A friend of mine 7 the post, watched the video, and felt moved. So moved, 8, that a few days later I went to my mailbox and9 a beautiful ring stamped with “I am enough.” It was such an unbelievable gift of kindness and I 10 how this simple video was going.

    The following day I was leaving my classroom, and I 11 my warm-up white board had been changed. Instead of the instructions I had for the following morning, one of my students had written, “I am enough. You are enough. ”I 12 the addition of “You are enough” 13 it shows they are not only thinking about their value but the value of others. How 14 is that?

    I also received an email from one of the 15 of my students. She told me she found a picture of hearts and the 16, “I am enough, you are enough'' on her daughter's desk. I couldn't 17 this simple saying was reaching so 18 and so far. It made my heart filled with 19 thinking how blessed I am to get to 20 with these kind little souls every day.

    If you have been to Harbin in winter, but didn't have a 1 to see people do winter-swimming, I am sure you will feel it's a(n) 2. Can you imagine swimming in a river with the temperature being about 10 degrees below zero? This would be 3 to the people from the South. If you were on the Songhuajiang River, you could not help 4 those brave swimmers.

    I felt greatly excited as well as 5 when I first saw the winter-swimming, though it was very cold that day, the swimmers were only wearing 6 clothes, while all the people watching were having heavy clothes covering all their bodies with only two 7 visible. I had thought that the river was warm, but it 8 much cold when I dipped my hand into the river water. What excited me most was the way they 9 into the river from the high ice-platform and the styles in which they swam, 10 butterfly-stroke and back-stroke.

    My uncle has been 11 about winter-swimming for several years. Now he is a member of the Winter Swimming Club. Once I asked him, “Aren't you afraid of cold? Have you got a 12 from it?” Smiling, he said, “13 we have a strong will, we can surely overcome any 14 and difficulties. I haven't got a cold at all. On the contrary, I have become 15 than I was before “That's true, he 16 suffer from bronchitis. However, since he began to like swimming, he has been fully 17 from the disease.

    Today, more and more people are 18 joining in the winter-swimming, including women and children. This activity shows the great 19 and strong will of the people in Harbin which I think is just what we 20 in our work and study as well.

    The moon had gone behind a cloud and there weren't many stars in the sky. As I took a glance(一瞥)at my neighbor's house, I saw a flame (火焰)in his 1. I thought he was having a midnight fast food so I went back to my2.

    Soon, there was a 3 smell in the air and I guessed something was wrong. 4, I jumped out of bed and went downstairs to 5. I saw fire coming out of my neighbour's kitchen. Right away, I 6"Fire! Fire!" But there was no one nearby to 7 my shouts for help.

    I 8into my house, called the Fire Department and went back to my neighbour's house. I rang the doorbell, hit on the door and 9 my neighbour's name but there was no 10. I managed to 11 the house and rescued a cat and a rabbit.

    I tried to throw water through the kitchen window 12 it was no use; the fire was too strong. 13, a fire engine arrived and soon the firemen put out the fire. They arrived just 14 as the fire was going to 15 to the other rooms in the house.

    When my neighbor came back, he was 16 because his kitchen was burnt down, but he thanked me for calling the Fire Department and for saving his 17. He wanted to give me some money in return but I did not 18 it.

    Weeks later, my neighbor repaired and restored his kitchen. He 19 me to see his new kitchen and there he gave me a medal(奖章) that he had 20 ordered from a factory. It made me feel very happy.

    Anna Douglas was 72 years old when she started writing her newspaper column. She had been a school teacher before she retired (退休), but she needed to keep 1. She was even willing to work without pay. She then offered her 2 with a business that helped other businesses find jobs for old people. Every day she 3 other old folks like her. By talking with them, she 4 two things. Old people had abilities that were not 5. But old people also had some 6. She found a new purpose for herself then.

    Through the years, she 7 to write stories about people for national magazines. There was now a new 8: Old people like herself. She began to write a newspaper column called "Sixty Plus", which was about 9 old. She wrote about the problems of old people, especially their problems with being 10.

    Anna Douglas used her 11 ability to see the truth behind a problem. She understood 12 problems began. For example, one of her 13 said that his grandchildren 14 the houses as soon as he came to visit. Mrs Douglas 15 some ways for him to understand his grandchildren.

    "It's important to know 16 about your grandchildren's world," said Mrs Douglas. "That means questioning and listening, and 17 is not what old people do best. Say good things to them and about them," she continued. "Never try to 18 your grandchildren or other young people. Never 19 your opinion. Don't tell them what they should do. 20, they have been taught they should have respect for old people. The old should respect them as well."