I remember quite well a day 17 years ago. That day, our twin sons, Chad and Brad, 1 their car and left home to attend college. I realized that our 2 would soon become a "table for two". 3 , the boys would come home on the weekends, but 4 , I knew our family life would never be exactly the same again.

    The boys walked around each room to 5 they hadn't forgotten anything they needed. I packed a cooler with 6 and their favorite cold snacks. I found a box and filled it with essential 7 items. I thought they might go to bed hungry that night. I 8 my wallet and placed the little bit of 9 I had in their hands.

    We all walked 10. Chad and Brad gave me big 11 and quickly got into their car. I 12 as they drove away. When their car was 13, I sat down on the driveway and cried 14 than I had cried in a long time. My husband Roy tried to 15 me, but I could see grief in his eyes, as well.

    There are many parents who would 16 this period. Bittersweet feelings will be 17 while I cannot explain them adequately. I can still remember 18 I felt when we began that new chapter in our lives.

    19 time going by, however, Roy and I are now accustomed to our table for two and we enjoy our lives together. I have to admit I still miss our children and the old 20 we had together.

    On Sunday I had my own Father's Day celebration. Suddenly I 1 about my dad a lot. My dad is 2 the kindest man in the world. He would never 3 anyone in trouble.

    Every Thursday night, my dad would 4 Shreveport, to a church there. I always drove the car for him.

    Although this happened many times, I 5 one incident on one of those trips to Shreveport. That time on the 6 , my dad saw a hitchhiker (搭便车的人 ). Dad asked me to pull the car over and offer him a 7. Dad asked him his name and address, told him ours, and talked to him about all sorts of things.

    At first the hitchhiker was hesitant (迟疑的 ), but he changed his 8 as he could tell we were really listening to him. I did know that it was quite 9 outside and the hitchhiker was very happy to be able to get a lift in our warm car.

    We 10 another forty-five minutes and learned that the hitchhiker was 11 many difficulties in life. Dad told him to keep his head up and said that 12 would become better for him soon. He 13 into his pocket and handed the hitchhiker a twenty-dollar bill, leaving only a ten-dollar bill for himself. The hitchhiker then became very 14 .

    I was always told never to 15 a hitchhiker and yet my dad did it every time he saw one. Dad always gave them money 16 he did not have much of his own.

    From that I've learned a lot about my dad and 17 . I've learned that if you come from a place with 18 , you will show a lot of kindness to people who are 19 . Just one single kind act may 20 someone's life.

    There's an event that changed my life many years ago. It is a memory that 1comes and goes, but it is one of the most2memories that my wife and I3

    Once we were driving home and decided to 4at a local gas station to get coffee and something to eat. When we got back into our car, we noticed a man 5outside in front of the building. You could tell that he was a6man. His clothes were7 He must have not had enough money to get something to eat.8what he did moved all of us.

    The next thing I remember is a dog that9the front of the building. I could tell she was a she, because you could tell that she had been10puppies(小狗). She was terribly in need of something to eat and I felt so11for her. I knew if she didn't eat soon, she and her puppies would not12it.

    My wife and I sat there and looked at her. We13that people walked by and didn't even have a look at her. She might not have been as pretty and14as most, but she still deserved better. Before my wife and I did anything,15did. The homeless man, who I thought was hungry himself, went into the store. And what he did brought16to me and my wife. He has gone into the store and with perhaps all the17he may have had, bought a can of dog food and fed that dog.

    I know that this story isn't as18as most stories, but it plays a great part in our lives. That was Mother's Day weekend. And many people19that some animals are parents too. And animals are God's20like us.

    My husband kissed me goodbye, stroke (轻抚) the baby's cheek and then rushed out of the door, into his busy day. With the cold of the morning fading, I fed my baby and it fell fast asleep. Usually I would place it in bed and quickly have the house somewhat in 1.

    However, this morning, I stayed seated, just 2, with the baby in my arms. The thoughts ran into 3of the mornings with my husband, a father rushing out of the door to meet the obligations of life. It was only a small jump to thoughts of my own 4.

    My mother passed away when I was ten, and as I looked 5, I could see how much of a family man my dad was. He went to work every morning and 6 to his family every evening. He 7 food, clothing, warmth, and protection. He was a faithful father.

    Setting the baby down, I dialed the 8 number. I had just realized the 9 of the ordinary－the daily life going on around us that we often took for granted, and that it needed to be 10.

    "Hi, Dad." I said, 11 back tears.

    "Hey, Bud. How are you?" 12 was in his voice.

    "Fine, I'm just calling to say … thank you." I got it out before my throat 13 too much for me to speak.

    "What for?"

    "For getting up and going to work every morning of my life. Now that I have my own 14 and I see my husband doing the same, I just wanted to thank you for being 15."

    There was 16 for a moment as my dad composed himself, and with a small 17 in his voice he said, "You're welcome, Bud."

    I don't remember much of the rest of the call, 18 that moment of revelation (显露) about my father, I will never forget. There are those who are known for their heroic 19, and also those who are known for their fortunes and fame, but it is the 20 everyday fathers who are the true heroes. I'm thankful that my father was one of them.

    I was ready to pay for my bananas at the grocery one night, when fear seized me. My wallet was gone. I could only have left it on the G9 bus, which was now speeding in the dark to some1station.

    The2moment was quickly followed by mental math. How much time and money would it cost to replace the3of that little wallet？The credit cards, the driver's license, the cash, all lost to the bus.

    Two hours later, back at my house, I heard a knock on the door. My husband 4it while I was on the phone in the dining room. "Does Jennifer live here?" I heard a lady say. In my husband's hand was my wallet, with not a penny5. She left before I could 6 make it to the door to offer my thanks.

    After sharing the story online, I heard from someone, who 7 the lady as Erin Smith. Without 8 , I called to thank her. She said she 9 my wallet on a bus seat. She10that going to a stranger's house was a 11 move, but she decided to take the chance. "If I were in that 12. I would want someone to try to find me," she said.

    This one stranger responded beautifully to my small 13 , but she actually wasn't the only one. Right after Erin 14 my wallet on the bus, she posted a picture of my driver's license to an online forum（论坛）, trying to see 15 anyone knew me. No sooner did she leave my doorstep than I had emails from two women whose kids go to my son's nursery and who recognized my face. I've never 16 words with those moms beyond small talk, but they wanted to help. I read that people are more divided than ever, but that's not how the people I17tend to act.

    18, I feel blessed someone had wanted to help a stranger. Erin had gone 19what almost anyone would have done, finding my house on a bitterly cold night, and for that I was extremely 20 .

On that hot August day in 2023, as ash rained down and flames closed in, Jim Rhodes didn't want to be anywhere but Coulterville. "My kid called from Alabama. We first heard ·about the fire from him," Rhodes recalls. "He said, ‘Evacuate（撤离）!'I said, ‘Evacuate? To where?'"

Coulterville is a tiny town located among dry hills where local people raise cattle and other livestock. It has a main street, a park and a museum. It's got a cafe, a grocery shop and a post. And with summer temperatures routinely topping 100 degrees, it has fires—sometimes big fires.

Eventually, this big fire got a name: the Moc Fire, for the tiny town of Moccasin-where it began as a brush fire.

It burnt for 10 days, consuming almost 3,000 acres.

Rhodes woke to find his truck covered in ashand the news was broadcasting evacuation orders. Ranchers（牧场主） across the region were fighting to protect their animals, loading them into the truck or just setting them loose to find safety. Volunteers were readying fairgrounds nearby to shelter animals. Already they were filling up with dogs, cats, chickens, horses, cattle, goats, sheep and rabbits.

As residents and animals were brought out, firefighters poured in. "With them came the biggest bulldozer（挖土机）I've ever seen," says Rhodes. "And they were sent to cut the firebreak that could save the town. We knew that if it made the cut, we'd all have to get out of here."

The situation was clear. The danger was growing. But slowly Rhodes realized that he hadn't come to Coulterville just to leave when the town needed him. He stayed, joining the handful of residents who gathered around the main street where fire officials posted updates. He knew he could help somebody, somehow.

Around midmorning, a farmer he'd never met came by asking for help with animal evacuation. Rhodes's phone was still ringing, but he knew what to do. "I hung up my phone, got in the truck and headed down to his farm," he says.