One month ago, my daughter started kindergarten. As usual, I wished her success. I was telling a lie. What I actually wish for her is 1. I believe in the power of failure.

    Success is 2 in a sense. Success is proving that you can do something that you already know you can do, or doing something correctly the first time, which can 3 be a problematic victory. First-time success is usually a fluke (侥幸). First-time failure, 4, is expected; it is the natural order of things.

    Failure is how we learn. I have been told of an African phrase 5 a good cook as “she who has broken many pots”. If you have spent enough time in the 6 to have broken a lot of pots, probably you know a fair amount about 7. I once had a late dinner with a group of chefs, and they spent time 8 knife wounds and burn scars. They knew how much credibility (可信度) their 9 gave them.

    I earn my 10 by writing a daily newspaper column. Each week I am 11 that one column is going to be the worst column of the week. I don't just set out to write it; I try my best every day. 12, every week, one column is inferior (较差的) to the others, sometimes extremely so.

    I have learned to 13 that column. A successful column usually means that I am treading (踏) on 14 ground, going with tricks that work, or dressing up popular ideas in fancy words. Often in my inferior columns, I am trying to 15 something I've never done before, something that I'm not even sure can be done.

    My daughter is a perfectionist. She will feel her failures, and I will want to 16 her. But I will also, I hope, 17 her of what she learned, and how she can do 18 next time. I probably won't tell her that failure is a good thing, because that's not a(n) 19 you can learn when you're five. I hope I can tell her, though, that it's not the end of the world. Indeed, with luck, it is the 20.

    Jason, our son, was born with cerebral palsy（脑瘫）. My wife and I often comforted him as he faced many 1 in his early years.

    It was 2 to see him regularly chosen last for baseball, but his most 3 time came when he began high school. One afternoon, Jason returned home in 4 and shouted: “I'm never going to school again!” He was5 with food that other kids had 6 him on the school bus on the way home. Jason later told us what had 7 .A few days earlier, Jason had 8 up for the school running team. That day, a few older students made9 of his performance on the track. I called the headmaster about the 10, and it never happened again.

    One day, as the other kids exercised in the gym, they 11 one lonely runner-Jason jogging around the snow-covered track. A few weeks later, Jason said to me, “Dad, I was ready for the 12 He added that each month, each student 13 an “athlete of the month” and voted for the14. Jason's name had never been 15. But that day, one student said: “Sir, I would like to propose Jason for athlete of the month. “The coach looked 16 “He works harder than any of us, Sir,” the student continued. Tears 17 in Jason's eyes as everyone in the class put their hands up. We, also in tears, looked on as he 18 displayed his certificate.

    Whenever I despair, I think of this story. I 19 myself that challenges are not overcome by 20 but by patience, determination, and faith.

    "The biggest obstacles (阻碍) in our lives are the barriers our mind creates..." The quote I saw in an old friend's house when I was about eleven has got me through the 1 parts of my life, which has actually been based on it. When I 2 for the basketball team, not 3 it became what I was worried about most. I went to the tryouts but simply sat on the sidelines and 4. I missed out on making the team, not for lack of 5, but because of the rather too big barriers I bore in my head preventing me getting around and then 6 the ball.

    The year continued, and at that age I hadn't overcome the fears 7 in my mind. Football season came and yet again I had to try out for the team, 8 to display myself to the full. Once again the barrier in my head kept me from doing something I loved.

    From that moment on I knew that God wouldn't make barriers if somebody could 9 them. I started training, mentally, 10, and emotionally.

    I went to a small 11 in the county where the teachers didn't care whether you succeeded. I went to practice daily and competed as if it was my 12 day outing on a helmet. Later that week I made the football team. But it was simply 13. In my eyes this wasn't good enough, and I could do much better. In the middle of the season, the coaches said I was 14 to play with the big boys, and before I knew it I was starting as a(n) 15.

    I'd come a long way from the little boy that was scared from his own 16 I had 17 in whatever I did. I tried out for wrestling and made the team, the AAU basketball team and made that 18. I then realized I was a(n) 19 athlete, and that the obstacle course started to become smaller. I chose to 20 myself and let nothing get in the way.

    When Mom pulled in the driveway, Grandpa Joe was weeding his garden. He stood up and 1 us with wide-open arms. In his muddy gloves and jeans, he looked2 like the well-dressed grandfather I remembered. The super professional bank president who loved numbers had retired(退休) and let his hair run3. I wasn't4 him to look so different.

    After the hugs and kisses, Grandpa couldn't5 to show off his garden, pointing out his almost-ripe tomatoes and 6 about the rabbits eating his lettuce. The man who had been 7 for ages with interest rates(利率) now cared only about gardening.

    Once Mom was gone for business, Grandpa8 me and said, "Now, Anthony, if I remember 9, you like pasta(意大利面) with pesto sauce." I eagerly nodded. "That's perfect!" Grandpa said. "We'll make some."

    We10 some vegetables from the garden, and then drove 15 miles to the nearest grocery, where Grandpa bought cheese and nuts. On the drive home Grandpa asked, "What's the11 of having a grandpa if he never makes you a big home-cooked meal?"

    Then Grandpa showed me how to 12 eggs with flour to make pasta and then how to prepare the sauce. When everything was ready, he proudly 13 me a large plate of pasta. I 14 a forkful into my mouth and it was just15.

    "So," Grandpa said, his eyes16, "what do you think?"

Before answering, I thought about our 17. The garden, the shopping, the 18 "I… I… love it, Grandpa!" I said.

    Then his face broke19 a smile so warm that I was sure I hadn't told him a20.

    It was a terrible day. Snow had been falling all day long making the trip 1. I would rather have been in my warm home than drive along on such a cold day, but I didn't have a 2. I had to have my paper work handed in and then 3 my son.

    The snow continued to fall as we drove along for the 15-mile trip back home. I slowed the car and 4 at my son in his heavy coat as he looked 5 out of the window with a blank expression. In the 6 of the world he was looked upon as a mentally disabled child. 7, over the years what I saw was a beautiful, kind and 8 soul. He had shown me more about love than I could have ever 9 on my own.

    I slowed the car even more as we 10 a sharp curve (弯). As we rounded it I saw a shivering (颤抖的), young woman in a 11 jacket walking in the snow storm . I pulled over and let her in. She was heading for her Mom's house to visit her 12 whom she hadn't seen for months. She had experienced a lot of disappointments and 13. Yet, she still held out hope for a new job and tried to 14 a new life for her son and herself.

    I took her as 15 as I was able to and dropped her off. She thanked me for the 16 and I told her I wished I could have done more to help. Then as we were about to leave, my sweet son took off his coat, 17 down the window and gave it to her. She put it on, smiled and 18 to us as we pulled out on the road.

    In this world we will 19 many problems and challenges. Sometimes it seems that our entire lives are a trip down a curvy and dangerous road. Yet the power of 20 takes us straight back to a broad smooth highway.

    We have five fantastic children. As they've grown older, from high school to college and so on, we found ourselves cleaning out our home of furniture only to replace it with something new. We had this living room set (一组) 1 a sofa, love seat and chair go 2 a couple of the kids, dragging it up the stairs to their third floor apartments and back down again to the next apartment. Our son was the last to have the set when 3 he asked for a place to 4 it because he was going out of town for a semester. We told him we would 5 it for him in our garage. So we picked the furniture up and 6 it back to the house.

    One day, while at 7, I heard a couple of people talking in the hallway. A mother and her two children were 8 out of their own house by her husband, with 9 but the clothes on their backs. Some warmhearted people found them a place to stay, but no belongings, clothes, food, or furniture.

    Our colleagues and I 10 all we could to help her. I went to the store and bought some clothes for the children and some 11 essentials. I came home that day after work and looked at the furniture in the garage sitting there, 12. I called my son and told him what I wanted to do. He agreed.

    The next 13 was to the mother of two. She came to my house within an hour to pick up the furniture and the bag of clothes. She said she would 14 the furniture as soon as she would be able to.

    I looked at her and said, "15 you are done with the furniture, give it to someone else in16."

    She cried, 17 by the generosity and thanked everyone greatly for all that 18 did to help. It makes me so happy to know that the 19 that grew with our family was being 20 to good use.