Don't Let the Candle Off

A man had a little daughter—an only and much-loved child. He lived for her— she was his whole 1 He was so happy to hear his girl's voice that he hardly imagined what he would do 2 her. But unluckily, one day, his daughter became seriously ill. He was very 3. He tried all he could to 4 her. At last, his efforts (努力) was 5 and the child died. The father became a bitter recluse (隐士) after that, shutting 6 away from his friends and refusing(拒绝) every activity that might7 him back to his normal self. But one night he had a dream. He was in heaven, seeing a group of little child angels. They were dressed in white and8 in a line passing by the Great White Throne. Every angel9 a candle. He noticed that all the candles were bright except one. Then he found that the child with the 10 candle was his own little daughter. 11 to her, he held her in his 12, hugged her gently, and then asked, "Why is it, darling, that your candle alone is unlighted?" His daughter said, "Daddy, they often relight it, but your 13 always put it out." Just then he 14 socialized (交际) freely and gladly with his former friends and colleagues. No longer would his darling's candle be put out by his useless tears.

    We can't avoid having a sad 15 during lifetime, but we should remember not to let our beloved person's candle off.

    Every day I can watch a little girl 1 basketball from my kitchen window. One day I asked her why she practised so 2 . She said: “I would like to go to college. The only way is 3  a scholarship(奖学金). I like basketball and I want to be the 4 player in college. My dad told me: ‘If the dream is big enough, the facts don't count.' ” She  5 changed her mind. I watched her through those junior high years and into senior high school.

    One day before she graduated 6 high school, I saw her sitting on the grass 7 . I asked her what was wrong. She told me her coach said she was such a 8 girl that she couldn't be a good basketball player, so she should  9 dreaming about going to college. She was heartbroken and it 10 made me feel sad. Then she smiled and told me her father said that coach was wrong. He did not understand the power of dream. Her father said to her: “If you really want to 11 the scholarship of a good college, nothing but you 12 can stop your dream.”

    The next year, she and her team went to a big game. She 13 by a coach of a famous college team and was offered a scholarship to the 14 basketball team of their college. She was about to get the college education that she had dreamed 15 and worked towards for all those years.

    “If the dream is big enough, the facts don't count.” It is true.

    When my family moved to Ohio over the summer, I feared going to another new school and knowing no one because I was able to1what was coming. I had bright red hair and huge glasses. Besides, I was2and not very popular.3on the school bus that first day, I felt like all eyes on me. I could hear the words "She's huge!" Clearly, the kids on the bus had known each other well. I spent that first bus4in silence.

    The following day was even worse. I did not notice that a few boys had tied a rope across the aisle（通道）and then fell face first on the bus, 5everything I was carrying. 6I was uneasily gathering my things, I could hear the laughter, and then the words “That felt like an earthquake!”

    Anyway, I7to find a seat. Looking out of the window, I held back the tears running out of my eyes.

    It was then8I went into myself. I began walking everywhere. I would walk through the woods behind our house. I would also walk to a church. I began9the afternoon school bus on purpose, walking home instead. Then,10, I started losing weight. And as I became satisfied with myself, I began making11.

    One of my newly found friends also fought with her weight. She lived near my neighborhood so we would meet and12together. This became a daily activity with talking and laughing

    13the way—different from the lonely walks I had taken. While I would no longer want to experience that time of loneliness and sadness again, I am14I made it through. Whenever I am fighting with any other problem in life, I always remember the saying "This too shall pass（一切都会过去的）".

    If you can find a path with no obstacles（障碍）, it probably doesn't15anywhere.