“Mom, you're always on the computer！” Laure complained.

    “No, I'm not，” I1.

    “Every day I come home from school you're working on the computer.”

    “Well, at least I'm here 2you！”

    My daughter was right. Day after day, in my home office, I would stare into space as my 3 typed out the thoughts of a speaker or research completed for an article.It seemed that my work as a writer and speaker 4 my fingers to the keyboard and my mind to valuable ideas.What Laure did not 5 was that during her day away, I'd also be doing a lot of housework.It was only around three in the afternoon that I'd 6 seat myself at my desk for a few 7 moments of deep thought.Then she'd come from school.

    I was8of myself on being available to my children.After all, I am a speaker on child behavior and parenting.But Laure's observation9 my heart.In her eyes, I must have been a mom who was 10 but unapproachable.I wouldn't make such an image (形象) before her.My relationship with my children is more 11 than any other work.

    “Laure，” I called, “come here a minute.”

    She wandered to my doorway.I had decided to have her 12 me when I was too devoted to work.I wanted her to have the 13 to let me know when she thought I was cold.

    After I explained my 14 and the fact that I chose home office to be accessible to her and her sister, I offered Laure the following 15.

    “Whenever you feel I'm ignoring you or you need my 16 ， I want you to 17 me，” I said.“Just come up and give me a little hug.That'll be our signal that you 18 me.”

    Years later we still have that 19 sign.I've become much more sensitive to my daughters' comings and goings.20 she always gives me a little hug to remind me of the real reason why I work at home.

    There is something graceful about a well-made hurricane lamp, especially the antique ones. Mom had affection for them.

    I can remember 1 through countless flea markets for hurricane lamps, which are 2to keep their light lit through the 3of moments. Mom tried hard to buy the lamps in 4, as her favorite of all the lamps had no mate.

    The spring after Mom's first 5 with cancer, we went to a local craft fair to pass the time, to keep 6. We were still waiting to hear from the doctors on the 7 of her follow-up tests.8 to search something for my mom, I bounded ahead of her and baby brother as they 9 along the tables. I didn't 10 far before something caught my eye. Standing proud on the display table sat a lamp.

    I was excited, as I 11back through the crowd to my mom. "Mom! You have to see something!" I shouted. "12. I think I'm going to get these lamps. What do you think?" She 13so I could see them but I didn't even look at them. "You've got to see what I found first," I 14her through the fair. When she saw the lamp, she picked up the lamp 15, running her fingers over the bowl, over the hurricane glass, and 16 it closely. "See this?" She pointed at a very small mark in the glass. "The one at home has the same mark." She smiled. It was the first time I had seen her 17 smile since the doctors first found the cancer.

    When the lamp 18 in our house, next to its mate, she cried. She went to light the lamps and sit on their glow until she could sleep. Years later, I understood her 19 for those lamps, through the darkest moments of her life. Mom was my hurricane lamp. She was inextinguishable (永不熄灭的)—through the darkest moments. She lit my way without 20. She still does.

    I still remember the first day of school our professor introduced a little old lady named Rose to us. I was curious about what might have 1  her to be taking on this challenge at her age. "I always 2 having a college education and now I'm getting one!" she told me. I like listening to this "time machine" as she 3 her wisdom and experience with me.

    At the end of the term, we 4 Rose to make a speech to our football team. As she began to deliver her 5 speech, she dropped her note card on the 6 . A little embarrassed, she simply said, "I'm sorry. This whiskey is 7 me! I'll never get my speech back in order so let me just tell you what I know." As we laughed, she 8 her throat and began, "We do not stop 9 because we are old; we grow old because we stop playing. There are some secrets to staying  10 , being happy, and achieving success. You have to laugh and find 11 every day. Have a dream. When you 12your dreams, you die. We have so many people walking around who are 13 and don't even know it! There is a huge 14  between growing older and growing up.  15 you are nineteen years old and lie in bed for one full year and don't do one 16 thing, you will turn twenty years old. That doesn't 17 any talent or ability. The elderly usually don't have18 for what they did, but rather for things they did not do."

    One week after graduation, Rose 19 peacefully in her sleep. We will remember the wonderful woman who taught us by example that it's never too late to be all we can20 be.

    On a cold winter evening, I was walking home alone, when suddenly came screams (呼喊声) from behind some tress. 1, I slowed down to listen, and 2 that what I was hearing were the sounds of a fight. A woman was being attack (袭击) not far from where I 3.

    "Should I go to help her?" I thought. I was worried about my own 4, and I regretted having suddenly decided to take a new way home that night. "What if I am 5 too? Shouldn't I just 6 to the nearest phone and call the police?" But already the girl's 7were growing weaker. I knew it was time for me to act fast because I could not 8 the life of this unknown woman, 9 it meant risking my own life.

    I am not a 10 man. I didn't know where I found the 11 and physical strength (体力), but once I had finally 12 to help the girl, I changed suddenly. I ran behind the bushes and 13 the attacker off the woman. Struggling, we fell to the ground, where we fought for a few minutes 14 the man jumped up and ran away.

    15 heavily, I came up to the girl, who was crying. In the 16, I could not see her clearly, but I could certainly 17 her shock. Not wanting to frighten her any further, I spoke to her from a distance.

    "It's OK," I said 18. "The man ran away. You're safe now." There was a long stop and then I heard the words, said in both wonder and 19. "Dad, is that you?" And then, from behind the tree, stepped my youngest 20, Katherine.

Lying in bed, I debated whether I should paint the wall at home or go for my scheduled medical check because of the occasional pain in the breast I 1 doing either, but both were overdue. I rolled over and over again, thinking about my 2 situation.3, I settled for the painting and decided to make another 4 for the medical check.

After breakfast, I got out and pulled into a mall. I 5 by the gift shop next to the paint store to pick up some cards. I 6 a shelf with statues of angels (天使). One dressed in pink caught my eye. As I 7 to get her down, a woman who was standing by my right side said, "She's a pretty breast-cancer angel.^”

"Yes, she is. But she's a little 8 , I can't afford it," I said. Putting the angel back on the shelf, I stopped and bent down as a sharp 9 ran from my shoulder down my arm. The woman came around to my left side, saying firmly, "Honey, get the angel and your medical check. You'll be 10 ." Then she left quickly.

All happened so fast and unexpectedly that I was11. I wanted to ask her how she knew I 12 a medical check, but she was 13 to be found. I took her 14 anyway. After 15 the pink angel, I drove to the 16 .

The 17was breast cancer, and I was scheduled for surgery a week later. After chemotherapy(化疗),I 18 recovered as the strange lady had said.

I was declared cancer-free nine years ago. Much as I 19 my pretty breast-cancer angel, I gave her to another breast-cancer patient with the 20 that she'd someday hear the voice of her own angel.

    In my early thirties, I decided to climb Mount Kilimanjaro, the highest mountain in Africa at 5, 895meters above sea level. 

    After months of preparation, I started my great 1 . At the base of the mountain, I met Mik, a local porter, who warmly 2 me. Mik's job was to carry my equipment up the mountain, set up the tent, and carry everything back down after reaching the 3 . 

    The first day of the climb was 4 the rain forest, across a slippery , muddy ground covered with tree roots and vines (藤蔓) . Mik was carrying 30 kilos on his head! By that evening, we made it to 3, 000meters. The air was 5 and it was colder. When I arrived at the campsite for the night, my tent was already set up and waiting for me. 

    Day two was much steeper and rockier. I really had to 6 what I was doing. And I felt guilty for the tough 7 Mik had to work in. Yet when I turned to Mik, he said with the biggest smile, "pole, pole, "which means"8 , take it easy" in his native language. I 9 back, my burden lighter somehow. 

    Over the next five days, the climb got 10 difficult. The temperatures could 11 from 21℃to below freezing in a few hours. At 5, 700 meters, there's only half the oxygen 12 in each breath compared to at sea level. That leaves many people with severe headache. Yet Mik always had a smile and a positive attitude. It had an enormous impact on mo, giving me the 13 to keep going. 

    Even today, when I find myself 14 with anything in life, I just think back to Mik and his smile. A great attitude can bring joy to those around you, or even 15 strangers to the top of a mountain.