One day I visited an art museum while waiting for my husband to finish a business meeting. I was expecting a quiet 1 of the splendid artwork.

    A young 2 viewing the paintings ahead of me 3 nonstop between themselves. I watched them a moment and decided the lady was doing all the talking. I admired the man's 4 for putti ng up with her 5 stream of words. Disturbed by their noise, I moved 6.

    I met them several times as I moved 7 the various rooms of art. Each time I heard her continuous flow of words, I moved away   8.

    I was standing at the counter of the museum gift shop making a purchase 9 the couple approached the 10. Before they left, the man 11 into his pocket and pulled out a white object. He 12 it into a long stick and then 13 his way into the coatroom to get his wife's jacket.

“He's a 14 man.” The clerk at the counter said. “Most of us would give up if we were blinded at such a young age. During his recovery, he made a promise his life wouldn't change. So, as before, he and his wife come in 15 there is a new art show.”

     “But what does he get out of the art”. I asked “He can't see.”

“Can't see You're 16. He sees a lot, more than you and I do,” the clerk said, “His wife 17 each painting so he can see it in his head.”

    I learned something about patience, 18 and love that day. I saw the patience of a young wife describing paintings to a person without  19 and the courage of a husband who would not  20 blindness to change his life. And I saw the love shared by two people as I watched this couple walk away, their arms intertwined.

    A few years after Mom died, Dad handed me a plastic bag. That evening, I 1 the bag to find dozens of shells, each one2 in white tissue paper（纸巾）and having Mom's handwriting.

    The shells were pretty 3, but to Mom, they were evidence of her endlessly magical life and 4 me of the seashore trip with her. She was 61 when she 5 these shells, and already showing 6 of the lung disease. We knew something was 7 and Mom needed an adventure. She suggested a dinner and a movie. But two friends and I had bigger 8.

    Mom had been to the ocean only twice, but she 9 the seashore. Her kitchen was decorated（装饰） with souvenirs from those two trips. I told Mom that we would 10 for Jersey Shore. Mom was so 11 that she screamed and Amber, her dog was 12 to jump onto the floor.

    One of my favorite 13 on the road was a discussion about movies. Mom often got the titles wrong. “Ohhhh,” she said, “what was that movie about a teacher at the boys' school?” Before anyone could 14, she shouted, “The Dead Man's Poet!” I looked back and saw a back seat full of 15. “Mom,” I said. “You mean Dead poets Society?” “That's it!” Mom yelled. 16 filled the car.

    Once we got to Stone Harbor, she began to 17 the trip, greeting strangers and spending hours gathering shells. The morning we left, I found her photographing every inch of her bedroom. “I don't ever want to 18 this,” she said.

    For a long time, Mom's shells stayed 19 in a drawer. Last month, I 20 them again while searching for something else. I put them in a visible place as a reminder from a mother who never lost her sense of wonder.

Henry was not 1at math. Even when the teacher explained something a second time, he still couldn't 2it. “Never mind. I'll sit3the boy who's the best at 4” Henry thought, “and5 his answers.”

The day of the exam6 and Henry sat next to Allan,7was 8at the top of the class in math. Henry copied Allan's answers 9 his own exam paper. At the end of the exam, the teacher said, “Well, boys and girls, I've decided to give a red10to the student who got the11grade. It's 12 for me to decide who I'll give the star to, however,13two students, Henry and Allan, got the 14grade.” After a moment she went on, “15I've decided to give the star to 16this time.” Henry was17 when he heard this. He stood 18and said, “But I got the same grade as Allan, madam.” “That's 19” The teacher said. “However, Allan's answer to Question 6 was ‘I don't know.', but 20was ‘Nor do I.' .”

    Steve, a 12-year-old boy, had been failing since first grade. He generally went 1 until he joined Miss White's class.

    "You all did pretty well," she told the 2as she went over the test results, " 3one boy, and it breaks my heart to tell you this, but ..." She hesitated, looking at Steve.

    "The 4boy in the seventh grade is failing my class." Steve 5his eyes and carefully examined his fingertips.

    After that, Steve refused to do his 6. Miss White was very 7and tried to encourage him to study.

    "Give yourself a 8! Don't give up on your life!" Miss White told him, yet it didn't 9.

    Then one day, she said, "Steve! Please! I care about you!"

    10, Steve got it. Someone cared about him.

    He spent the whole afternoon thinking about what he should do. Arriving at his house after school, feeling determined, he headed to his bedroom to 11.

    Monday morning, Miss White gave a 12on the weekend homework. Steve 13through the test, and was the first to hand in his paper. Miss White looked it over in total 14. The smartest boy in the seventh grade had just 15his first test.

    From that moment, nothing was the same for Steve. He discovered that not only could he learn, but he was 16it.

    After high school, Steve joined the Navy. During his naval career, he 17many young people who might not have believed in themselves if he hadn't believed in them first.

    Miss White saved one boy who 18changing many lives.

    You see, it's simple, really. A(n) 19can take place within the heart of one boy, all because of one teacher, who 20.

    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 were3. 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 to 8something 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 and 11. They also planted vegetables and12them grow over the summer.

    Another mother had Bible13on 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 big 19. Okay, it wasn't Disney World,20the kids didn't miss anything. My son actually asked me, “Can we do this again next year?”

    I was once a dropout. I know how powerfully a 1 can influence the life of a person who does not 2 herself. I quit school at sixteen to work. Years later, I had a(n) 3 and couldn't work for months. I felt depressed. With an unemployable father and a mentally ill mother to support, I couldn't 4 to give up.

    Searching the ads, I found a notice that our local community college offered free work 5. One requirement was a high-school diploma or GED certificate. Years ago, I got my GED certificate, but with 6 scores. I felt certain that I had little to 7 other than a willingness to 8. After my physical injury healed, I went to meet Ruby Martin, the advisor who would 9 me.

    I sat 10 waiting while Mrs. Martin looked over my score sheet. I was 11 to hear her blame me for wasting her valuable time. She looked at me for a long moment 12 she spoke.

    "Why did you apply for this 13?" she asked. "Why aren't you applying to college?"

    With my face burning with 14, I could only whispered, "Because I am 15."

    "Didn't anyone ever explain these 16 to you?" she asked. I just shook my head. For the next hour, she explained how the GED scores are based on, and that my 17 were very high indeed. She convinced me that I was not only not stupid, but that I would 18 an excellent candidate for the training program.

    I regained my 19. Later, I got a bachelor's degree and became a teacher just like her. To teach is to touch a life. It was Ruby Martin who touched my life 20.