People from every corner flooded into the streets that Christmas Eve. "Frosty the Snowman," and "Jingle Bells" 1 in stores; on the pavements, the street singers performed happily. Everyone was 2 by someone else, delighted and cheerful. I was alone.

    As one of 8 kids of a Brazilian family, brought up in America's crowded apartment, I'd spent several years searching for aloneness. Now,3, at 27, a college student after the 4 with my girlfriend, every cell inside me wanted to be alone,5  not at Christmas. My family had 6to Brazil and my friends were 7with their own lives. Dusk was approaching, and the fact that I had to return to my 8 home made me sad. Lights from windows blinked (闪烁), and I hoped someone would 9 from one of those homes to invite me inside with a Christmas tree decorated with shiny fake snow and 10 presents.

    At a market, I felt more 11 when people were buying lots of goods, which12 the gifts we received as children in my mind. I missed my family and wanted to cry for wanting to be alone and for having achieved it.

    Outside the church, a manger (小耶稣) had been set 13. I stood with others watching the scene, some of them 14 themselves, praying. As I walked home, I realized that leaving Brazil was still a painful experience as I struggled with 15 I had become in 15 years in America. I'd mourned (悲叹) the 16, but for the first time, I recognized what I'd gained. I was independent, 17 and healthy. My life was still ahead, full of 18.

    Sometimes the best gift is the one that you give yourself. That Christmas, I gave myself 19 for what I'd obtained up to now and promise to go forward. It is the best gift I've ever got, the one that I most 20.

    On January 13^th when I was cleaning the attic(阁楼) I saw a large box. It was 1 with a red pen--ROY. I chocked with2just looking at it. I had put the box up here in 1985 after my son, Roy, was 3in a hunting accident.

    After the funeral, I walked through the house, and 4various items, which I then placed in a box. It was too 5 to look at all the reminders of my son throughout the house, so I put them away for a(n)6 date. Now, over thirty years later, I thought perhaps I could view the items7.

    In the box I8 a folded piece of paper lying there. It was a hand- drawn 9 on notebook paper. Inside the heart were written the 10'Mom, I will love you until the cows come home-- and forever. Happy Valentine's Day.' Roy meant it as a 11 because we milked cows for a living. It was his way of telling me he 12 me.

    Roy made the 13 on Valentine's day 1985. I recall 14 it to the refrigerator, and it was15there the day he died on November 30, 1985. I put my head on my knees and 16. I cried for all I had17and all the years of life Roy had never known. I cried because there were so many things left undone and unsaid, but 18 I cried because I missed Roy so terribly much.

    Later, I began to 19 finding this Valentine a month before Valentine's day 2017. It's like Roy was20 me a Valentine wish of love all over again.

    He stood on the comer looking a lot like Santa Claus, a smile on his face and a cup outstretched in his hands. I smiled 1 and asked if he was 2, "Would you like to go somewhere and share a sandwich?" He 3 with a bigger smile and a resounding（夸张的）YES.

    His name is Aed. We went together to a comer bakery and then 4 the next hour, he very slowly ate his sandwich, 5 with deep delight on each bite as he 6 his story with me.

    He was one of the few hand pruners（修剪树枝者）still trying to work. He spoke lovingly and with deep 7 about all sorts of plants and trees and how to properly 8 them. Much like humans, each one required kindness and 9.

    He spoke of his time 10 in Vietnam and how the war forever 11 him. He spoke about a pathway diverged（分开）but then 12. He spoke about his philosophy on life that we all have gifts to 13 and we all have the 14 to be happy even without a place to call home. His blue eyes 15 brighter and brighter.

    I asked if I could hug him. 16 resounding YES. And then we hugged a second and third time，each one a bit 17 and a bit more joyful.

    Aed gave me a gift that day. It was the gift of his story. We 18 in touch now and again via email; he is a(n) 19 man. So, the next time you see someone on a comer with an outstretched hand, 20 out and gently take it. You may receive the bigger gift.

Finding Home

    "I hate New Orleans! I wanna go home!" I 1 to my mother as we moved boxes. 2 , going home was not easy because my home was 1, 100 miles away.

    I was born and 3 in northern Virginia. Virginia was my home, and I never expected that to 4. In 2014, my family experienced a tragedy (悲剧), so my parents decided to move to my mom's hometown of New Orleans.

    Only three months after my parents made the 5 to move, I found myself moving boxes into our new house. My announcement to my mother that I 6 the new environment was partly motivated by how hot it was, but it was mostly due to the fact that I felt like my entire life had been turned upside down. 1,100 miles away from everyone and everything I had ever known, I was 7. To make matters worse, I was starting high school in two weeks Beginning high school is a scary 8 on its own.

    I spent my first few months in New Orleans, 9 wanting to go home to Virginia. But after a few months of missing home, I 10 that I had a choice. I could continue thinking about how much I missed my old home, 11 I could start trying to build a new home right here. I chose the latter.

    As soon as I stopped giving all my 12 to how much I missed Virginia, I was able to begin accepting the love that people were already giving me. I joined some clubs at school, which gave me the chance to make friends. My neighbor taught me how to cook some New Orleans food, and I found a wonderful 13 of fellow cooks and neighbors. Overall, I seized every possible opportunity to 14 myself and to rebuild my life.

    Because of my resilience (复原力) in creating a new home for myself and the 15 that people have shown to me, home is right here.

    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 1 the clerk my layaway receipts and told her I was there to pay off the balance and take the  2 home with me. She grabbed my receipts, and kept messing with the computer 3 something 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 15. I kept thinking that perhaps some family out there was not going to have a Christmas because they really couldn't 16to pick up their layaway.

    I decided to pay it 17, 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.

    Susie Coodall finally was discovered and rescued. She was a volunteer in the 1 Golden Globe Race accompanying sailors through the 2 every June. On Wednesday morning, Goodall was 2, 000 miles west of South America when her boat was like a drunken man in a strong wind and a broken bar knocked her 3 unconscious. But soon after that she 4 and at once rang the alarm through her emergency system and a series of troubling 5which had recorded her happenings during the journey, were 6 on her Facebook at once.

    Chile's Maritime Center received her 7 and soon ordered a ship to change is 8 to rescue Goodall. Meanwhile, all Goodall could do was wait-trying to keep her boat 9in the waving South Pacific and pumping out water that was 10 into the damaged cabin(船舱), which made her 11 her present situation

    When the Chilean ship finally 12 Goodall, lowering down a small boat to save her seemed13because up to 13 feet waves will 14 the boat at any time. 15 , crew members on board 16 another way-lowered a long thick rope from the ship, and 17 Goodall from her ship to safety. As luck would have it, the chosen method 18 worked.

    Goodall arrived at the Chilean port without any delay. On her Facebook, Goodall wrote: "They were the hardest and loneliest days I've ever had. Actually, all I wanted was a break with to 19 to the busy daily life. But I might as well 20 home instead of giving up."