“How did you do it, Dad? How have you 1 not to take a drink for almost 20 years？” It took me almost 20 years to have the2to even ask my father this very 3question. When Dad first4drinking, the whole family was on pins and needles5 he got into a situation that, in the past, would have started him drinking again. For a few years we were6to bring it up for fear that the drinking would begin again.

    “I had this little7 that I would recite to myself8four to five times a day.” was Dad's9to my 18 year old unasked question. “The10 were an instant relief and constant reminder to me that things were never so 11that I could not handle them，” Dad said. And then he 12the poem with me. The poem's simple, yet profound (深奥的) words13became part of my daily routine as well.

    About a month after this talk with my father, I14a gift in the mail from a friend of mine. It was a book of affirmations (断言)with one affirmation listed for each15of the year.

    I16opened the book to the page of my birthday to see what words of wisdom this book had in store for me.17of disbelief and appreciation rolled down my face. There, on my birthday, was the18poem that had helped my19for all these years! It is called The Serenity Prayer.

    God, give me the serenity (平静) to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to20the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference.

    I was on my way home from work, cutting through the park. On that day, the sun seemed to 1 faster than usual, and all of a sudden I found myself walking 2 I was less than half a mile from my apartment,3the path would lead me over a bridge, across train tracks, and 4 an unlit underpass (地下通道).

Then 5 I heard him — a stranger running alongside me. My mouth went 6. My legs felt like water. But I didn't7my pace. Instead, I stopped, turned, and8 him. He came out of the bushes and said he'd been watching me for a long time.9he walked beside me, I moved a little closer to the edge of the10When we reached the bridge, a train raced past, and he seized the moment,11 himself suddenly at me as his hands12my throat. The self-defense skills I had learned years before kicked in, and I dug my 13into his eye, hard. But he14grew bolder (大胆), pulling at my clothes. So I put all my 15into that thumb, and finally he16.

I was shaking with 17but I looked him straight in the eye and began to back away. I 18to run the hell out of there, but then I 19 another self-defense lesson: Never20 because then you're prey (猎物). So I walked away —alone — through the dark underpass as I dialed 911 with trembling fingers.

    When I was about twelve, I was taken out for dinner with my family one day. As we headed towards the 1, a girl about my age came up to us and asked if we had any spare2. My mom asked where she kept her things. She pointed to an old car. She said there were six of them3in that car, which was the same size as my own 4

    After 5   her a few dollars, we said goodbye. Then, my mother sent me inside the restaurant with my grandparents, my dad and my6. But she didn't come. 7, she had gone home and 8our cupboards(橱柜) into a few bags. She brought all the 9 over to the car and handed the bags to the family. I wasn't there when that10, but I could imagine the 11appearing on their faces.

    Later, when I 12about what she had done, I asked her 13 she helped them. She told me that the girl's family 14 needed help. The girl and I were the same15, yet we lived 16 lives.

    Here I stood, 17 in good clothes, headed to dine in a restaurant and then back home to the bedroom I 18 with my sisters. I remembered thinking that the other girl didn't have any food to eat and had to share a cold car with five other people.

    After 19this picture in my mind, I understood why my mom had done what she had done. She 20 me one of the best lessons I ever learned.

    Last December, just a week before Christmas, I went to a local KMart store to pick up my layaway (预付定金购物).Upon reaching the counter, I 1the clerk my layaway receipts and told her I was there to pay off the balance and take the 2home with me. She grabbed my receipts, and kept messing with the computer 3something was wrong. I felt a little uneasy. I was4 her to tell me my layaway had been misplaced or something of the sort.

5, after about ten minutes, she said,"Oh, that's why I can't find it in our 6. You should have 7a phone call a few days ago that your layaway was paid off by a(n) 8 Santa."I couldn't believe what I was hearing! This kind of story only happens in the 9.Why was my family 10 to receive such a blessing?

    Immediately I asked the cashier if there was a 11 that I could leave something for the Santa 12 his random act of kindness, but she said that the individual wanted to 13 completely unknown. It definitely 14 my heart. However, I felt kind of 15. I kept thinking that perhaps some family out there was not going to have a Christmas because they really couldn't 16 to pick up their layaway.

    I decided to pay it17, so I used the money I had for the balance on my account to purchase some 18 and on my way out, I gladly 19 them off inside a huge toy donation box. Since I had received such a nice, heart warming gesture from someone, I wanted to keep the 20 going. And it felt nice to receive and to be able to give right back.

    My 9-year-old daughter and I were flying from our home in Carolina to spend a week with my husband in Florida. We were 1 about the trip because we hadn't seen him for five months, and my daughter 2 her Dad terribly.

    As usual on the Charlotte-to-Miami flight, the plane was totally 3. Because we did not get our boarding passes until we 4 at the gate, Kallie and I could not get seats together and were 5 by the aisle (过道). I asked two passengers in my row if they would switch places with Kallie and me, 6 we could be together. They 7, saying they thought they should stay in their assigned seats. Meanwhile, a mother and her three children were in a 8 several rows ahead of us. There had been a mistake in their boarding passes, and 9 the whole family had been split up. The passengers in her row10 refused to move elsewhere. She was very 11 about the younger boy sitting with strangers. She was in tears, yet nobody 12 to help her. There were a troop of Boy Scouts(童子军) on 13. Suddenly the Scout leader stood up and said, “Ma'am, I think we can help you.” He then14 five minutes rearranging his group so that enough space was  15 for the family. The boys followed his directions cheerfully and without 16, and the mother's relief was obvious.

    Kallie, however, was beginning to panic at the 17of not being next to me. I told her that there wasn't anything I could do. 18, the man sitting next to the Scoutmaster, 19to me and asked, “Would you and your daughter like our seats?” 20 to himself and the Scoutmaster. We traded seats and continued our trip, very much relieved to be together and watch the scenery from Kallie's window sea.

    Right after lunch, Mother found she had got a cold. She did need a rest in bed. But first she had a few things to do. Prepare the meat for 1. Leave a note for the cleaners…

    At last, she fell into bed, soon asleep…

    Then the door banged(砰地一声) open as the 2 came home from school. "Mom! Mom! Where are you?" "Didn't you even get up yet?" "What about dinner?"

    "I'm sick. And I can't do anything. I'll have to leave all to 3 . Cook the potatoes. Take care of the baby. Put plates, spoons and forks on the table."

    "Wonderful!" "No problem!" The children ran off 4. Mother was left in her quiet room. She felt terrible! But everyone else seemed great. In fact, there seemed to be a party going on with loud laughs 5 the children.

    There was a sudden crash (破碎声). Then a voice shouted, "Get the baby out of the way —6 he cuts himself. Don't break Mom's rest!"

    Another crash came! The younger girl rushed in with news. "They 7 your plate and the dog ate all your dinner."

    The girl ran off. There was more noise until, finally, the children appear, 8. They were proud of what they brought. There is a glass of water, three beans, a cold boiled potato and a small piece of burned meat.

    Suddenly, Mother felt 9. As the children watched carefully, she ate her cold dinner. "Everything 10so good," Mom smiled. "Thank you, my kids. I feel better now."