Education from My Father

    My memories of my father are slim because he was so sick in the last years of his life. But there are   1 that I am often reminded of and which may have had some bearing on my love of  2 .

    When I was small I was somewhat  3 of lightning and thunder. My father explained it. The explanation was in 4  that a child could understand but was basically correct. I gained a better 5 later, but I didn't have to unlearn anything.

    What he said was that there was electricity in the clouds 6  it traveled to the ground like a spark. When it traveled  7  the air it made the air so hot that it 8 . Then there was nothing where the air had been and the air all around rushed in to 9  the space. He clapped his hands together very loud,  10 to be the air rushing in, and said that makes the thunder. When I hear thunder, I can still hear that 11 .

    He explained why if it was cloudy in the winter the night was warmer than if it was 12 . It was one of those nights when the sky was full of stars: no moon, no town lights. But there were more stars than you could 13 and they had color too. He said that if there were no clouds, we had no blankets and were  14 to the universe. Our warmth was going to 15  the whole universe. When there were clouds, they were like blankets and we were not exposed to the universe. I 16 feel on the edge of space on a very clear night.

    I am sure there were many other lessons that I 17  but no longer remember. What I did 18 , in general, was that there were explanations and that the more I understood them, the more comfortable the world was to live in. I was not taught that there were 19 but that there was understanding if you looked for it. This may be why I have always been  20  in science.

    I woke up the other day to a phone call from a taxi driver. He had my friend's cell phone, and told me that my friend had1it in the cab the night before.

    It was a rainy2, which for cab drivers is a very busy time. The cab driver asked where he could3the cell phone off. I told him the cross4where I lived. I quickly got dressed and told him that I'd5him on the comer of the street.

    The driver drove all the 6from Queens to deliver the phone without 7. When I met up with him, I 8 and blessed him for having such a kind and beautiful9. I was so happy for my10because of this man's kindness! My friend had11 moved here and I could only imagine how 12 his cell phone was to him! I further asked the taxi driver if I could get his 13, so that my friend can thank him as well. He said my 14 and gratitude were all that he needed and drove off.

    I emailed my friend telling him I had his15and later that day I met up with him to tell him how I had16it. My friend said he couldn't believe such kindness should17in this big city. He told me he could not18to pay it forward.

    I was so 19 to see the kindness that happened early that morning. It just made my20!

    One day, Jim played basketball in the living room after school. When he was playing in high spirits, his basketball 1 a vase off the shelf by accident and the mouth of it knocked off a large piece. What made him more2 was that the vase was rare and valuable. To cover the great 3 he caused, he glued the pieces together and put the vase back to its place.

    While cleaning the vase after work, his mother 4 the change on it. At dinnertime, she asked Jim if he 5 the vase. Being afraid of punishment, Jim said a wild cat jumped in from the window and knocked the vase off the shell. His mother was quite clear that he was 6, for all the windows were closed before she went to work. However, his mother just remained 7 and said it was her carelessness not to have the window closed.

    Before going to bed, Jim's mother asked him to go to the study. He felt he couldn't 8 the punishment.

    When he entered the study in fear, his mother's face appeared no sense of 9. Instead, she took a chocolate box out of the drawer and 10 one piece to him. “Jim, this chocolate is a reward for you, for you11 a cat that could open the window, with your imagination.” Then, she put another chocolate in his hand. “This chocolate is a reward for your topping12 to restore (修复). You restored with glue, the cracks were filled almost perfectly. 13remember, to restore a vase needs more powerful glue and higher 14 skill. Tomorrow, let's bring the vase to the15 to see how they'll make it as it was.” With that, his mother took the third chocolate, “The 16 chocolate stands for my deep apology (歉意) to you. As your mother，I shouldn't have put a vase in a place where it could so 17 fall down, especially when there is a boy fond of sports.”

    “But, Mum, I ...” His mother18him and said. “My chocolate box has been 19, so our talk is over, too. Now, go to bed!” Then she left for her own bedroom. The following days were the same as before. The only 20 was that Jim never told a lie since then.

    My grandfather died in 1970, leaving my grandmother living in their old house alone. Shortly after that, we went to the animal shelter(收容所) and picked out a little 1 to accompany(陪伴) Grandma. The dog was named Penny.

    Grandma and Penny quickly became very attached(依恋)to each other, and that attachment grew much 2 as years passed—they became very close. When Grandma went to 3, Penny walked along and lay beside her until she woke up.4 Penny aged, she could no longer jump up on the 5 to lie next to Grandma, so she lay on the blanket beside the bed. Grandma never went anywhere without her partner by her side.

    The time came when both my grandmother and Penny were becoming 6. Grandma had been sent to hospital several times, and Penny couldn't 7 around very well. When Grandma was in hospital, Penny would sit at the window 8 out for the car bringing Grandma home and would 9 wait at the door when Grandma came through it. Each homecoming was a great meeting again between the two.

    On Christmas Day in 1985, Grandma was again taken to the hospital. Penny, 10, sat watching out the window for the car bringing Grandma home. Two mornings later, I 11 she couldn't stand and wouldn't eat. Later, she had difficulty in breathing. I quickly 12 her to the hospital where Grandma stayed to let her see her owner for the last time. There, as soon as Penny saw Grandma, Penny's eyes brightened suddenly and then slowly 13.Grandma left this world, several 14 later.

    After fifteen years of loving friendship, Grandma and Penny passed away on the same day. God had it all worked out—Penny was waiting at the door to 15 her when Grandma came home.

    I began to do volunteer work in grade seven. I experienced many meaningful moments, and the most1ones were when I was volunteering as a swimming2at the YMCA in Brockton, Massachusetts. At first, I was a teacher's3."What are we going to do next? "When is the play time? These were just two of the questions I was often4there. On the day of my first class, I thought it was going to be a(n) 5 job. I 6that since I had taken swimming lessons from the age of five, I knew the7about swimming. After all, I was good at all8of swimming! 9, I soon found out there was more about teaching swimming than just knowing how to swim.

    During my first class, I assisted the swimming teacher in teaching a group of five-year-old kids. From that moment on, my10of teaching changed. Teaching is communicating. To instruct children, one has to make the lessons11 and interesting for them to learn. I had to learn many games that would help the children to 12as swimmers. Such as "Red Light, Green Light" and "Blast-Off." I must devote myself to teaching them and set a(n)13example to them.

    I expected to teach a group of children, but it14my students were the ones who taught me how to be a(n)15teacher. Not only was it challenging to learn the children's names, but it was also challenging to16to their many personalities and moods. There were many 17that went along with helping these children, among which was seeing a child18a task that he or she could not do before they met me.19, through the volunteer work, I learned that there would always be rewards by giving, and there would be20by making efforts.

When going through a serious illness, you learn to know what love and beauty really are. I know this 1 too well, because I've experienced a terrible illness myself.

I was diagnosed with both breast and colon (结肠) cancer at the same time, and my entire 2 on life completely changed. I thought I had it rough after having to 3 my daughter alone, but going 4 cancer made my previous years seem like times of delight. When you 5 from a serious illness like cancer, it makes you wonder what you did to 6 such a thing.

The love of my family helped me to forget my 7, however. Their love was the greatest reason why I had to fight the cancer and live. At times, I didn't think I would 8 it, but because of the unconditional love of my family, I found out who's there at this most critical time of my life. Through it all, not only did I find what love truly means, but I found what true 9 really is. Through all the 10 I endured, I still felt beautiful.

Whether we're dealing with an illness or any other 11 feeling about ourselves, we still need to feel beautiful-on both the outside and the inside.

Each passing day I'm allowed to open my eyes, the days are 12, because I'm able to see and appreciate it much more. True beauty is 13 and when you feel beautiful on the inside, it shows so clearly on the outside.

14, I could not have done or felt the way I did and still do without my family. I feel within my heart that I 15 cancer just so I could continue to share my life with them, while sharing my story with others.

I share my story with others as I hope to make a positive impact on those who are ill or just feeling 16. We as people should never allow anything to 17 our joy or self-esteem. We can turn something terrible like cancer into something positive 18 we focus on the great things that come out of it.

19 all, it's at the worst times of our lives that the best things can 20, and when we survive a tragedy, it is for a reason.