“I don't feel right about this,” I said to one of my cousins in a low voice. She nodded in 1 . Not wanting to be the first to touch the food, I waited for one of the older adults to start.

    Thanksgiving usually meant 2  and full stomachs, however, this year was 3. My family sat around the dinner table 4 at our feast. Everyone had a full plate, everyone except for Grandma. The treatment for throat cancer would 5  one of her great pleasures, eating. This was the first 6of many food-focused 7  to come. I could not imagine what it would be like to never taste food again. My cousin Molly broke the 8 with a raise of her glass, “To Nat.” We all followed her lead. “Your 9 and strength encourage us all,” she continued. Grandma smiled, holding back her tears with great 10 . “Thank you. Please, please eat.” And with that, we all began to eat. Conversation broke 11around the room while Grandma laughed and talked with us all. Cancer would take away her ability to eat, but not the gift of being the best hostess. The evening went on as 12 Thanksgivings do. By the time the night was over, I felt 13 to my family than ever before. I learned that we gather together on holidays not to eat rich feast, but to 14 and share with one another. We 15 my Grandmother's courage, but we all learned a lesson in grace. In the years following, my Grandma 16 to create meals for family events. She told me once with a laugh, “I may not be able to eat, but I can 17 taste things.” With a 18 heart, Grandma prepared what she could not have for the only purpose of making us 19 . She inspired me to learn to cook and helped me find the 20 to make everything come together: love.

    It was a busy morning, about 8:30, when an elderly gentleman in his 80s came to the hospital. I heard him saying to the nurse that he was in a hurry for an appointment (约会) at 9:30.

    The nurse had him take a 1 in the waiting area, 2 him it would be at least 40 minutes 3 someone would be able to see him. I saw him 4 his watch and decided, because I was 5 busy — my patient(病人) didn't appear at the appointed hour, I would examine his wound. While taking care of his wound, I asked him 6 he had another doctor's appointment.

    The gentleman said no and told me that he 7 to go to the nursing home (疗养院) to eat breakfast with his 8. He told me that she had been 9 for a while and that she had a special disease. I asked if she would be 10 if he was a bit late. He replied that she 11 knew who he was, and that she had not been able to 12 him for five years now. I was 13, and asked him, “And you 14 go every morning, even though she doesn't know who you are?”

    He smiled and said. “She does not know me, but I know who she is.” I had to hold back my 15 as he left.

    Now I 16 that in marriages, true love is 17 of all that is . The happiest people do not 18 have the best of everything; they just 19 everything they have. 20 isn't about how to live through the storm, but how to dance in the rain.

    There is a story about a princess who had a small eye problem that she felt was really bad. Being the king's daughter, she didn't like to listen and kept 1 all the time. When the doctors wanted to help her, she always refused any 2treatment and kept touching her eye and it became worse and worse.3 the king announced a big4 for whoever could cure his daughter. After some time, a man arrived. He 5 that he could cure the princess but6 he was not a doctor.

    After he had 7 her, the man said, “There is nothing much wrong with your eye, hut there is something else that is really 8 .” The princess was worried and asked what it was. He 9and said, “It is really bad. I shouldn't tell you about it.” No matter how much she10, he refused to tell her, saying that he could not speak without the king's11 .

    When the king arrived, the man was still 12to tell his findings. After the king ordered him to tell them, the man said, “Well, there is no problem with the 13 . The big problem is that the princess will start14 a long tail very soon. If she15it when it appears, I can prevent it from growing.” Everyone was deeply concerned at this 16. And the princess stayed in bed, day and night, directing all her17 to feeling when the tail might appear. Thus, after a few days, her eye got well.

    This is how we 18 react: we always focus on our  19 problem and it becomes the center of everything. So far, we have done this20, generation after generation.

    When 12 girls from San Fernando High School in California received a grant(经费) to develop an invention to solve a real-world problem, they decided to create a solar-powered shelter to help the homeless.

    For over a year, the girls have been using all their free time to complete the 1“They have this amazing internal(内心的)2that I've never seen in any individual,” Violent Mardirosian, a teacher at San Fernando High who is3with the team on the project, told The Huffington Post. “I thought4that maybe some of them would give up, say 'I didn't5this much work,' but they haven't. They're just working hard and they're not giving up and they're super6.

    Living in a low-income community, the girls have seen the 7 of homelessness first-hand. Many of them are from immigrant families and hoped the 8 which is powered by rechargeable(可再充电的) solar panels(控制板), would help the9.

    Seventeen-year-old Maggie Mejia told the Huffington Post that10she had no previous 11experience, the girl figured out as a team how to12the shelter using how –to videos and books that taught them how to code. But the most important13she's learned during the project isn't technical.

    “I've learned a lot about14others, helping the community and being selfless and showing a better world to other people and15someone else's life,” she said. The project was carried out with DIY Girls, a nonprofit that helps fund STEM-science, technology, engineering and math- projects for16.

    Mardirosian said all the participating students have17their interest in STEM through this project.

    “Many of them didn't think about engineering before. They thought maybe they're not18out to be an engineer. But working together, now they 19their skill - whether a writing skill or a drawings skill or a speaking skill, they're all20in this field. Everyone has found their importance in this picture,” she said.

    It was my first day to Miss Hargrove's seventh grade. Past “newcomer experiences” had been difficult, so I was very1to fit in. After being introduced to the class, I bravely put on a smile and2my seat.

    Lunchtime was a(n)3surprise when the girls all crowded around my table. They were friendly, so I began to4. My new classmates told me about the school, the teachers and the other kids. They5out the class nerd（书呆子）to me: Mary Lou. She was a pretty girl with dark eyes and olive-skin,6she wore a long woolen skirt and an old-fashioned blouse. She looked stupid. The girls whispered and laughed7Mary Lou walked by. She ate alone.

    After school, the girls invited me to8them in front of the school. I was9to be a member of the club. We waited. For what, I didn't know. Then Mary Lou came down the school steps. The girls started10her, shouting rudely, biting comments. I11, and then joined right in. Mean remarks12from my lips. No one could tell I'd never done this before. The other girls stepped back and started cheering for me. Feeling13, I pulled on her backpack and then pushed her. Her backpack broke. Mary Lou fell and I backed off. Everyone was laughing. I14in. I was a leader.

    I was not proud. Something inside me hurt. If you've ever picked a wing off a butterfly, you know how I felt. Mary Lou got up, gathered her books and left without a tear or saying anything. She held her head15as blood ran down from her knee. I16her struggle away down the street.

    I turned to leave with my17friends and noticed a man standing beside his car. He must have been Mary Lou's father—he had the same olive skin, dark hair and handsome look. He remained still and watched the18girl walk toward him. Only his eyes—shining with both sadness and pride—followed. As I passed, he looked at me in silence with burning tears that reminded me of my19.

    Mary Lou's father's eyes taught me a good lesson that day. I never again hurt someone for my own20.