Ann worked for a big company. One of the duties of her 1 was to go to the post office every day and 2  the company mail. One day in December, she 3  a beggar making himself up as a Santa Claus 4  on the corner of the street. Each day she 5 her coins and dropped them in his bowl. He would smile and 6  her a Merry Christmas.

      At night the temperature dropped below 0℃, but the Santa Claus 7 stood in the cold wind.  8  she dropped her coins into his bowl, she handed him a pair of gloves.

      A week later, a(n) 9  Santa Claus was standing there. “What happened to the other Santa Claus?” she asked. He told her, “He's very 10  today.” She prayed for his health.

      Later that day, a colleague came into her office 11 . “I don't know what I'm going to do.” “What's wrong?” she asked. “It's my ex—husband,” her colleague 12 , “I don't have any money to buy my boys anything for Christmas, 13  my ex—husband refuses to send money to them. It breaks my heart that they won't have anything this year. ” The lady 14  her colleague, “I'm sure everything will 15  It's Christmas. Believe in miracles (奇迹).”

      That evening, she told her husband about her colleague's 16 , “I know we don't have much money to 17  , but I'd like to give her fifty or a hundred dollars. We'll just get ourselves less this year. Last year we couldn't afford to buy anything for 18  but we still had a wonderful Christmas.” Her husband smiled, “Give her one hundred dollars. She needs it more than we do.”

      She reached up and held him. Warmth spread 19  her body. He held her and realized that there really was a Santa Claus—and he had 20  her !

    My husband kissed me goodbye, stroke (轻抚) the baby's cheek and then rushed out of the door, into his busy day. With the cold of the morning fading, I fed my baby and it fell fast asleep. Usually I would place it in bed and quickly have the house somewhat in 1.

    However, this morning, I stayed seated, just 2, with the baby in my arms. The thoughts ran into 3of the mornings with my husband, a father rushing out of the door to meet the obligations of life. It was only a small jump to thoughts of my own 4.

    My mother passed away when I was ten, and as I looked 5, I could see how much of a family man my dad was. He went to work every morning and 6 to his family every evening. He 7 food, clothing, warmth, and protection. He was a faithful father.

    Setting the baby down, I dialed the 8 number. I had just realized the 9 of the ordinary－the daily life going on around us that we often took for granted, and that it needed to be 10.

    "Hi, Dad." I said, 11 back tears.

    "Hey, Bud. How are you?" 12 was in his voice.

    "Fine, I'm just calling to say … thank you." I got it out before my throat 13 too much for me to speak.

    "What for?"

    "For getting up and going to work every morning of my life. Now that I have my own 14 and I see my husband doing the same, I just wanted to thank you for being 15."

    There was 16 for a moment as my dad composed himself, and with a small 17 in his voice he said, "You're welcome, Bud."

    I don't remember much of the rest of the call, 18 that moment of revelation (显露) about my father, I will never forget. There are those who are known for their heroic 19, and also those who are known for their fortunes and fame, but it is the 20 everyday fathers who are the true heroes. I'm thankful that my father was one of them.

    Many years ago, I was working in an office in Halifax, Nova Scotia. We had large 1 that look out over a busy street. I was standing by one of those windows one day when a woman in a 2 car looked up and made eye contact. Naturally I 3. As she turned and tried to identify me, a quiet laugh4my lips. My co-workers began taking an interest, and stood back watching the 5 I received, and laughing happily. Then the stress of work was 6 away.

    Christmas approached, and job 7 were announced. Several of my co-workers were losing their jobs, and everyone was 8. While I was working a night shift, a red jacket , a box of foam packing and strips of tape in the corner caught my 9. They could be Santa's jacket and beard! Then I folded a red file into a hat and tied the 10 to it. With the red jacket , a Santa's Costume appeared.

    The next day I walked 11down into the office in the costume. My co-workers 12around me and laughed for the first time in weeks. Suddenly, my boss came to me, 13, shook his head and then left. I feared14. Then the phone rang.

    With a bead of sweat 15 my forehead, I entered the boss' office . 16, he laughed: "Thanks, Mike! It's been hard to enjoy the Christmas season. Thanks for the laugh. I 17it."

    That evening, I stood 18 by the window and waved at my fans, with my heart 19 with joy. For a few minutes of that day, we'd been able to forget our 20.

    Next week, strangers with a truck will take away everything we own, except the clothes on our backs, the car we will drive, and as much stuff as we can pack into it.

    It's called 1. Some people do it often. For others, like me, it's a 2experience. In all my adult years, I've moved only three times.

    My first 3 and I moved into our first house with a bed, our clothes and a few gifts. That was many years ago. Over the years, I 4 that house with three children, a few dogs and enough stuff to 5 the ceiling.

    Then the kids grew up, I lost my husband to cancer, and I began to learn about 6.

    First, I let go of the 7 of being in contro1. Life isn't about being in charge of what 8, it's about being in charge of what we do with it.

Next, I let go of 9 the things I care most about, like keeping in touch with the people that 10 the most to me.

    I let go of the people whose 11 are about anger or hatred, and tried instead to 12 myself with those who shine with 13.

    Finally, I let go of being alone—I remarried. I 14 moved to a new city with my new husband, and after that move, I15 I'd stop collecting meaningless things. But 12 years later, here I am, still learning about letting go.

    We'll all move someday from this 16 to the next, but we won't need a truck to do it. We'll take 17 with us and leave behind a(n) 18 of the life we lived, the mistakes we 19 , and all the love and kindness we tried to show.

    That memory might not be a treasure, but if we're20 , someone will keep it and hold it close and never let it go.

    Regardless of the weather or the distance, Paul Wilson will make sure low-income students in his neighbourhood arrive at their college classes on time.

    A retired engineer, 76-year-old Wilson has been 1 free rides to college students for the past eight years. Since he first started 2 his car to the young people. Wilson has 3 am astonishing 64, 000 miles, and has had countless pleasant and often humorous 4 with the students he transports to and from school. The students who he's 5 have gone on to become physicians, teachers and engineers, but what they've also got out of their time in school is finding a role model and a friend in Wilson. Some students 6 call him "Grandpa".

    Tina Stern 7 rides from Wilson for all her four years in college, and the trips meant much more to her than just free 8. "It's not just a ride；you're not just sitting there in 9 silence or with your headphones on." Stern said. "He asks you questions and actually 10 the answers, so the next time you ride with him, he'll 11 those things."

    Wilson first worked as a driver through a student-support programme of the non-profit organisation. On Point for College. Although the 12 asks the members only to drive students to and from their classes, Wilson often goes 13 to ensure the welfare and safety of the students. If they have problems with registration.

    Wilson is there to 14 them. If they run out of certain daily necessities. Wilson will drive to the nearest store and purchase what's needed. If a student gets hungry on the long drives to and from school, Wilson never 15 to buy them a meal.

    For many students, Wilson's help is not only appreciated, it's also entirely 16 for them to be able to complete their college education. Some students don't have a reliable car, while others have to 17 vehicles with parents who work six days a week. For them, riding with Wilson has 18 them to complete their education—but according to Wilson, he benefits just as much from the 19. "I just love driving and I love these kids, "Wilson said. "It's such a(n) 20 to be a part of these kids' lives, even just for a few hours, getting to know them and hearing their stories."

    From a young age, Michael Platt loved two things: Martin Luther King and cupcakes. He remembered statistics about income inequality and children hunger. But he also1afternoons at his computer in his Bowie home, awestruck by YouTube bakers who transformed a base of eggs, flour and water2edible (可食用的) works of art.

    Michael saw a way to3his twin passions. At age 11, he founded a bakery that operates on the Toms one-for-one model: For every cupcake, cake or cookie Michael4, he donates another to the homeless and5. Michael, now 13, said he6enjoys handing out cupcakes to kids.

    Sometimes Michael bakes to7money for hunger-fighting nonprofit groups, too. He spent a morning last weekend teaching a baking class to raise money for No Kid Hungry.

    He can keep up with his baking in part because he is homeschooled by his mother, who quit her job to8Michael full time. Michael9from public school-and his mother from job-after his epilepsy (癫痫) was diagnosed in sixth grade. His epilepsy became too10and too frequent to allow him to sit in a classroom, his mother explained.

    "It was a very, very11time," she said of the period after the diagnosis, during which Michael had to12 his physical activity. "He had to stop everything he13:Gymnastics, climbing trees, diving. So that's when he kind of threw himself into baking," she said. Baking, Michael said, makes him feel 14 .

    But when he started the bakery, he knew from the beginning that he wanted his15to do more than make money. Michael hopes his cupcakes spread awareness of the past and16others to work for social equality.

    Sometimes, Michael17, he grows tired of being in the kitchen. Then he remembers the18boy he met once while19cupcakes. A couple of days afterward, the boy's father messaged Michael on Facebook to say that his son, encouraged by Michael's example, now aspired (向往) to20a baker, "That inspired me," Michael said.