“A bird with a broken wing will never fly as high.” I'm sure that John would agree with this saying1he felt this way almost every day in school.

    By high school, John was the most famous2in his town. He was always absent, didn't answer questions and got into 3He had failed almost every exam by the time he entered his senior year, yet was 4each year to a higher grade level. Teachers didn't want to 5 him again the following year. John was moving on, but definitely not moving 6

    I met John for the first time at a weekend leadership training program since John was one of 405 students who7At the start of the training, John was just standing 8the circle of students, against the back wall. He didn't 9 join the discussion groups. But slowly, the interactive games 10 him in.

    The ice really melted (融化) when the groups started building a list of 11and negative things that had occurred at school that year. John12 some constructive ideas on those situations. The other students in John's group 13 his comments. All of a sudden John felt like a 14 of the group, and before long he was 15 like a leader. By the end of the training, he had joined the Homeless Project team. The other students on the team were 16 with his passionate concern and ideas. They17 elected John co-chairman of the team.

    John started18at school every day and answered questions from teachers for the first time. He led a second project19300 blankets and 1,000 pairs of shoes for the homeless shelter.

A bird with a broken wing only needs20. Once healed, it can fly higher than the rest.

    There was my mother, standing in a fuzzy (毛绒绒的) pink bunny(兔子）costume. This can't be, 1 I thought to myself. Being ten was 2 enough.

    Our class was taking a trip to a convalescent home（疗养院) that day.I had 3 to stay at home pretending I'd caught some rare disease. My mother who's a(n) 4, sent me to school anyway.

    When we got there, I 5 wished for that 6. I'd fall to the ground and be 7the humiliation (耻笑) of anyone ever knowing that I 8every day after school there, dressed as a bunny.

“Hi, Shelly!” The residents waved at me, “ Do you know them?” someone asked. “No! They 9 me for someone else. I'm Machille,” I responded. I didn't look up 10 I might make eye contact with them. Then, Mrs. Deist, our teacher, handed us tulips (郁金香) to give to the residents. I quickly went to the back of the 11. My mother just went along her way— hopping（单足跳跃）. Last year, we hopped together. 12, “I'm too old for that now”, I thought.

    I hid behind my class. “ Shelly, how about a game of Fish?” Lou asked. My class and teacher 13 and stared. “ Machille, do you know these people?” Mrs.Deist asked me.

“Um….yes！”  

    “Well you should 14 the way,” she said, smiling. So I stepped forward, handed a tulip to Rose, waved to Frank and gave Mr. Blusso a high-five.

    “My mother is in a convalescent home. I wish she could have someone like you to 15 her.” Mrs Deist said. My mother hopped over then. “This is my mom. Every day she looks after these special people who need nurses' care.” I stood straight as I 16 the information. My mother then explained a program where kids can 17 after school. The residents cheered at the18, and my class seemed excited, too.

    I realized how 19 it made me to make other people smile and feel good. I should never be 20 of that.

    Of the many interactions I had with my mother those many years ago,one stands out with clarity（明理）.I remember the1when mother sent me to the main road,about twenty yards away from our home,to2a passing group of seasonal work-seekers home for a3.She instructed me to take a container along and4dry cow waste for making a fire.I was then to5the meal for the group of work-seekers.

    The6of making an open fire outside at midday,7in a large three-legged pot in that intense heat,was enough to8even an angel.I did not manage to9my feelings from my mother and,after10the group,she called me to the room where she usually sat to11her sewing and knitting.

    Looking straight into my eyes,she said,"Tom,why did you get angry when I12you to prepare a meal for those13people?"Despite my attempt to deny her allegation（责怪）,and using the14of the fire and the sun as a(n)15for my behaviour,mother,giving me a16look,said “Lonao ga lo na nko”一“A foot has no nose”.It means: you cannot detect what17may lie ahead of you.

    Had I18to provide this group of people a meal,it may have happened that,in my travels some time in the future,I19myself at the mercy of those very individuals.As if that was not enough to20me,mother continued, "Motho ke motho ka motho yo mongwe."The literal meaning:“A person is a person because of another person.”

    When I was a kid, my mum liked to make breakfast food for dinner every now and then. And I remember one night 1 when she had made dinner after a long, hard day at 2.

    On that evening so long ago, my mum 3 a plate of eggs, sausage and extremely burned toast in front of my dad. I remember 4 to see if anyone noticed! 5 all my dad did was reach for his toast, 6 at my mum and ask me how my day was at school… I don't remember what I told him that night, but I do remember 7 him spread butter and jelly on that toast and eat every bite!

    When I got up from the table that evening, I remembered hearing my mum 8 to my dad for burning the toast. And I'II never 9 what he said: "Honey, I love 10 toast."

    Later that night, I went to kiss Daddy good night and I asked him if he really 11 his toast burned. He 12 me in his arms and said, "Your Momma put in a hard day at work today and she's really 13. And besides, a burned toast never 14 anyone!"

    15 is full of imperfect things... and imperfect people. I'm not the best at anything, 16 I forget holidays and anniversaries just like everyone else. But what I've 17 over the years is that learning to accept each other's 18 — and 19 to celebrate each other's differences — is one of the most important keys to creating a healthy, growing, and 20 relationship where a burned toast isn't a deal-breaker!

    Cheating often happens in our city. It can be hard to know who is really in 1 and who is trying to take advantage of other people's 2.

    Recently, I was finishing my work at home 3 the dog barked, letting me know that 4 was at the gate. I rushed to see who it was and there I saw a 5 weak woman in her late fifties.

I said to her, "May I ask what you 6?"

    She 7, "Hello, my name is Parvathy. My husband and I live nearby. We earn our living 8 working at construction sites. A few days ago my 9 fell off the stairs while 10 a heavy load. He is 11 hurt and hasn't been able to 12 for the past five days, so we have no food. Now he is in bed with a high fever. Please help me! I need to take my husband to a doctor!"

    "Oh!" I said. "Please 13 here." I went into the room. I felt really bad about her 14 but ...Was she telling me the 15 or trying to cheat money?

    Finally, I 16 to help her. But first I said a simple prayer, "Dear Lord, you know 17 I earn my pennies, so please make sure that my hard-earned money helps those who 18 need it."

    I went out with a fifty note and 19 it to her. The moment she got the money she broke down in tears. She took my hand and said, "Thank you so much!"

    I was so 20, and left.

    John's parents acquired the washer when he was a small boy. It happened during World War Ⅱ. His family never 1 a washing machine and, since gasoline was expensive, they could not 2 trips to the laundry several miles away. Keeping clothes 3 became a problem for young John's household.

    A family friend joined the army, and his wife 4 to go with him. John's family 5 to store their furniture while they were away. To the family's 6, the friend suggested they use their Bendix. So this is how they 7 the washer.

    Young John helped with the washing, and across the years he 8 a love for the old, green Bendix. But 9 the war ended. When the friends came to take it back, John grew terribly 10. His mother 11 him and said. "You must remember, that machine 12 belonged to us in the first place. That we ever got to use it at all was a gift. So, instead of being mad at it being taken 13, let's use this 14 to be grateful that we had it at all."

    The lesson turned out 15. Years later, John watched his eight-year-old daughter die a slow and painful death of leukemia (白血病). Though he 16 for months with her death, John could not begin getting over from the 17 until he remembered the old Bendix.

    His daughter was a 18. When he realized the simple fact, everything changed. He could now begin recovering from the death of his daughter. He started to see her as a marvelous gift that he was fortunate enough to 19 for a time. He felt 20. He found strength and recovery. He knew he could get through the valley of loss.