Honest Thanks

    I sat down at my desk and started writing. I wrote an emotional letter of gratitude. I put the notecard into the 1 ， sealed it and stuck the stamps on it，but when it came to actually placing the letter into the mailbox...I2.

    The letter was to a schoolmate with whom I kept in contact via Facebook 3.She had inspired me to live a(n)  4 life—for example，by 5 more.

    Her volunteer efforts weren't 6—she wasn't building wells in Uganda，but  7 she was doing small，local good deeds，such as serving as a crossing guard. These were things I could do，too. She made me8 I could make a difference here at home. I felt I should let her know how her 9 positively influenced my life .I could have easily sent her an e-mail，10 that seemed a bit lame for such an important thank you. That's why I ended up 11 the letter. But now I stood before the mailbox，unable to place the envelope inside. What was 12 me? Why was this so 13 to do? I guess I felt strange because it wasn't like she was my best friend，I just knew her，“People don't 14do this，” I thought to myself. However，15 thinking it over，I still felt a(n)16to let her know how grateful I was. Finally，I put the envelope in the mailbox.

    Weeks later I received her reply. She was 17  a tough time and my letter meant the 18  to her. She didn't know she had such a(n)19on others. Not only did this letter make her happy，but her response to it increased my 20 of happiness，I decided to write a gratitude letter to someone each month. Cultivating gratitude is a great skill to practice. Life is too short not to do it.

    One year my children came home from school asking where we were going on your summer vacation. It seemed that all the other kids were1 where they were spending the summer. I couldn't 2to take them anywhere but I didn't want to tell them that so I just said, “It's a surprise!” They were 3. That bought me a little more 4.

    I called several amusement 5to see if there was a half-price event during the summer but no such 6. I tried everything, with no success, so I called some of the other moms to find that most were in the same7that I was. We decided to8 something fun for our kids to do. We had a meeting, all five of us, and9 what is now called a “playcation”.

    One mother was a  10, so on Mondays the kids would all go to her house. They would play games using plants and11. They also planted vegetables and12 them grow over the summer.

    Another mother had Bible 13 on Tuesdays. She asked some questions about Bible. The kid who answered  14got a penny, which they all turned in at the end to buy their goodie bags(礼品袋).

    At our house on Wednesdays, I made an outdoor 15training with my spare tires. The kids also walked a balance beam and raced through large cardboard boxes taped together.

    On 16they had arts and crafts across the street. Fridays were17by a wonderful single dad with a metal detector(金属探测器)who took everyone out treasure18 .

    The summer was a big19 . Okay, it wasn't Disney World,20 the kids didn't miss anything. My son actually asked me, “Can we do this again next year?”

    Sitting in my favorite restaurant one day I noticed a man come in. He looked 1 and mad with the world, a look I had 2 many times before. I gave him my happy "good morning"3 but his response was still less than 4. He looked at me, sat down and 5 his head in the menu.

    I was not 6 by his response but I wondered if he would 7 and give just a small hello or smile. Over an hour passed and every time he looked my way, he looked meaner (低劣的) and meaner. Finally he called the 8 over to 9 his bill. I turned my head away for just a 10 and he was gone quickly. 

    I looked down at his 11 and there was a beautiful rolled up $ 100 bill on it. I was in shock. I 12 got up to get the cash. In my head Right and Wrong were fighting it out. Before I knew it, I was 13 behind the man to offer this 14 back to him. Out of breath, I said, "Sir, did you 15 this?" He looked shocked. His face turned 16 and a big lump (块) that could 17 an elephant came in his throat. He looked at the ground and finally said "yes", and then he slowly said "thank you".

    Without 18 looking at me, he turned around, got in his car and 19 away. I said "thank you" to God for letting me change one person's 20 towards friendly strangers.

    In a clean, clinical room, ray best friend was dying in my aims. His eyes, dark brown and trusting, would soon 1 forever. Heartbroken, I said, "Flash, you 2 so much happiness to me. I will do something good as a 3."

    Flash came into my 4 when I was nine. From the moment my parents brought this cute dog home, he 5 my family with joy.

    Then, 6 happened. My mum was diagnosed with breast cancer when I was 11. Then my grandma, who was my 7, passed away. My sister developed Crohn's Disease and while being tested, 8 a heart attack. I was being bullied at school and started to 9 classes and avoid seeing people.

    Flash soon gave me all the 10 he could offer. There were times when I felt there was no  11, but a pair of brown eyes and loving face would somehow ease me. I knew he was 12 there for me. I knew he understood.

    Now after 15 years, Flash was 13. I thought doing charity work was the best reward for him. I 14 in a non-profit organization in Southampton and contributed about 3,500 hours to 15 children with special needs, which completely changed my life. I learned to love the 16 I had been on, and even accept the 17 bits.

    I still miss Flash. It was him that had somehow 18 me to helping others. Flash's death was one of the 19 moments of my life. But it was also an inspiring moment that 20 who I was-in the best possible way-forever.

As a child, I hated going to the store with my mom. Whenever my mom asked if I wanted to go1, I would say, "No, mom! Who wants to get car sick and walk near the frozen section(冷冻区)? That's the2 part — the freezers and smell of seafood. Why would any mom3their only child this way? I hated it. 4, I did get cookies, French fries, and chocolate. This5 treatment went on until I left for Culver Academies.

    Here at Culver, I had no chance to walk around with my mom and get snacks I wanted. I found myself stuck(被困住) at the 6 whose store had high prices for a slice of cheese. I 7walking near the frozen sections with my mom.

    My first vacation home, my mom asked what I wanted from the 8, knowing I wouldn't go.

    "Can I 9?" I asked with a look of 10 because I wanted to spend time with her. I also felt sad while asking 11 I took all those 12for granted in my childhood.

    I 13 come home now. But when I do, I 14 to go with her every time. If not, I always say, "Love you mom. Drive safe!" I run to the gate and watch her15. I wave, smile, and 16 that I stay home.

As a child, I hated going shopping with my mom, but now I 17 it. I like walking near the frozen sections of stores now— it gives me a(an)18to stay with her. When I go with her, I really19 every detail in our trips. Now I'm eighteen and will be in college soon. I hope she knows how much those eight minutes'20 to the store meant to me .Thanks mom.

    When he was 5, Nicholas Lowinger visited a homeless shelter with his mother. He was1to show off his new light­up sneakers. But his mom warned him against doing so,2that these children might not have such things.

    3enough, when Nicholas met kids at the shelter, he4realized that they were living in circumstances that were different from his own.

    "I saw other kids who looked just like me. The only5was that they were wearing6shoes that were falling apart. Some didn't have a pair of shoes to call their own," said Nicholas, now 15. "I've been7to grow up in a family that is able to provide me with whatever I need. A lot of kids here in the U. S. don't have the same8."

    That first shelter9left a strong impression on Nicholas, who started10all the shoes he'd outgrown to local shelters. But he soon11that his donations weren't that helpful.

    "It12me that I only had used shoes to give to them13new shoes that fit right," he said. "No two people's feet are exactly the same, and14you are wearing someone else's worn shoes, your feet aren't going to be comfortable."

    So at the age of 12, Nicholas started a program that donates15shoes to homeless children.16, his efforts were part of a community service project. With the help of his parents, he then started the Gotta Have Sole Foundation, which has donated new footwear to more than 10,00017children in 21 states.

    "Something that seems so18, a pair of shoes, can make children feel19about themselves and gain confidence." Nicholas20other young people to do the same.