My brother, Mark, died in a traffic accident four years ago. He was my big brother and 1 looked after me. I am 2today for all of the special times we had as running partners, and times 3 driving to different races, where we had so many 4 about life in general. I 5 these talks terribly at this time of the year.

   6, I am so happy he shared with me the 7of his faith. He was always so 8 to people, and I had been with him many times 9 we pulled over to help someone in need,10 a smile and helping them get back on the road. So I was not 11 when he told me of the time when he was 12 in college. It was the end of the month. To make matters worse, it was Friday and he had no  13 in his pocket for the weekend. Pay day was Monday and he had no gas money to get home to  14my dad and no money to buy food but he had faith that helping others 15helping yourself.

On his way home from classes that day, as he was driving along, he noticed a guy ahead of him  16 his lumber (木材) all over the road as he turned the corner. Mark 17 right over and helped him load the lumber back into his truck. The guy was so thankful and 18 his hand to Mark, and in it was one hundred dollars. Mark couldn't believe his 19. He told him that was unnecessary but the man 20 and off he drove.

    I still think of Mark sitting there telling me that story, with tears in his eyes, and how faithful he was.

    Standing in the driveway, I watched my grown children drive off into the distance. I looked down the road until I could no longer see their 1.

    “They live too far away from me,” I said to myself. “When did they 2 and become parents of small children? 3 that be me?”

    I slipped back inside the house and just walked through the rooms for no reason 4. I was just missing them already and looking for 5 of their having been here. There were pillows on the floor and few stuffed (填充) animals 6 around where the children had been playing.

    I walked into the 7 and there on the back of the sink was a bottle brush that had been left behind. “Ah, even Tessa left something behind,” I 8. Well, I suppose she had help 9 she was just four months old.

    As I walked around the house, I picked up a few more 10 on the floor—Tegan's tooth, a pie pan, and the inside of a turkey fryer.

    Hmmm, things left behind ... I thought to myself. It seems there is one thing left behind on very 11. Memories are always left behind, I reasoned, and what a(n) 12 thing good memories are to us. I thought how each item left behind 13 me of the person it belonged to and the story 14 it.

    Memories happen even if we aren't 15 of it. The stressful and difficult moments often become memories that we 16 later with laughter and joy. The memories of past hurts, bitterness, and anger, 17, should be left behind 18. These are the things that we should never 19 until the next time they come, mail back, or bring with us on 20 next visit.

    As Elizabeth Stone said, “To have a child is to decide forever to have your heart go walking around outside your body.”

    I played a racquetball(壁球) game against my cousin Ed last week. It was one of the most 1and tiring games I've ever had. When Ed first phoned and2we play, I laughed quietly, figuring on an3 victory. After all, Ed's idea of 4has always been nothing more5than lifting a fork to his mouth.6 I can remember, Ed's been the least physically fit member in the family, and7proud of himself. His big stomach has always ballooned out between his T-shirt and trousers. Although the family often8about that, Ed refused to buy a9T-shirt or to lose weight. So when Ed10for our game not only with the bottom of his shirt gathered inside his trousers but also with a stomach you could hardly11, I was so surprised that I was12. My cousin must have made an effort to get himself into shape.13, at the point in our game when I'd have predicted（预计）the score to be about 9 to 1 in my favor, it was147 to 9—and Ed was15. The sudden realization was painful. We 16 to play like two mad men. When the score was 16 up, I was having serious 17about staying alive until 21 years old, let alone18that many points. When the game finally ended, both of us were lying flat on our backs, too tired to19. In a way, I think we both won: I the game, but cousin Ed my 20.

    I sat down at my desk and started writing an emotional letter of gratitude(感激). But1it came to actually placing the letter into the mailbox, I froze. I couldn't do it.

    The2was to an old teacher with whom I kept in3through Facebook comments(评论). For the past couple of weeks, her Facebook page had4me to live my life differently—for example, volunteering more.

    Her5efforts weren't huge—she wasn't building wells in Uganda or6 lepers(麻风病人)in India, but instead she was doing7, local good deeds, such as serving as an elementary school crossing guard. These were things that I could do, too. She made me8I could do the same at home. I felt I should let her9 how her example positively influenced my life. That was10I ended up handwriting the letter. But now here I was, standing before the mailbox,11to place the envelope inside. Why was this so hard to do? I thought I felt strange because it wasn't like she was my best friend. I just knew her.12, after thinking it over, I put the envelope in the mailbox at last.

    Weeks later I received a Facebook message from her. She was13a difficult time and my note meant14to her. She said she had no idea that she was making such a15to others. Not only did this letter make her happier,16her response to it increased my level of happiness as well. I decided to write a gratitude letter of17to someone each month. I've been doing this for two years now and it has changed my life greatly. I'm more likely to18out the goodness in others and I am continuously more thankful for this19life I'm living. Expressing gratitude is a great skill to20. Life is too short not to do it.

    Dale Carnegie rose from the unknown of a Missouri farm to international fame because he found a way to fill a universal human need.

    It was a need that he first 1 back in 1906 when young Dale was a junior at State Teachers College in Warrensburg. To get an 2, he was struggling against many difficulties. His family was poor. His Dad couldn't afford the 3 at college, so Dale had to ride horseback 12 miles to attend classes. Study had to be done 4 his farm­work routines. He withdrew from many school activities 5 he didn't have the time or the 6. He had only one good suit. He tried 7 the football team, but the coach turned him down for being too 8. During this period Dale was slowly 9 an inferiority complex (自卑感), which his mother knew could 10 him from achieving his real potential. She 11 that Dale join the debating team, believing that 12 in speaking could give him the confidence and recognition that he needed.

    Dale took his mother's advice, tried desperately and after several attempts 13 made it. This proved to be a 14 point in his life. Speaking before groups did help him gain the 15 he needed. By the time Dale was a senior, he had won every top honor in 16. Now other students were coming to him for coaching and they, 17, were winning contests.

    Out of this early struggle to 18 his feelings of inferiority, Dale came to understand that the ability to 19 an idea to an audience builds a person's confidence. And, 20 it, Dale knew he could do anything he wanted to do—and so could others.

    I was a shy girl and I was afraid to talk to people I didn't know. I enjoyed the1 of exploring nature. 2, at school I had to spend all day in the company of others. My3was reading. I spent a lot of time studying and was 4  good grades. My only failure was Spanish — I'd get all As on my written work and tests, but Ds and Fs on the5 part.

    Eventually I went to college. During my third year of college, I had6of being shy and determined to change my outlook and behavior. One day while at school, I noticed an advertisement for7on the local classical music radio station. I had8listening to classical music, and I could easily pronounce names such as Tchaikovsky and Chopin.

    I had no background in radio, and absolutely no hope of getting the job. The idea of9thousands of listeners in "radio land" terrified me. However, I10survived the interview. I was given brief descriptions of symphonies（交响乐）and a public service announcement to read, and a list of composers' names11 . It wasn't hard for me. I left the recording session（录音场次）with a sense of relief and a sense of12. About two weeks later I actually landed the job. It was a13 job, but I grew to14 it greatly. I began to feel comfortable talking to people.

    Although I now spend many hours each week talking with people, I'm15basically a quiet person. Perhaps it is my soft voice and my16nature that helps draw people out when they respond to my questions when I17 them. My former shyness is a18, as I can relate to people who feel discomfortable when they talk to reporters. I still enjoy moments of loneliness and the19found in nature. But I'm also glad I decided to make a20in my life that has opened many doors and opportunities that I never knew existed.