As we passed the Eaton's Department store's window, we stopped as usual to gaze and do our bit of dreaming. My mother set her eyes on a red dress1 it long.

    As we continued down the street, mother turned2for one more look. “My goodness! They'd display something a person could use!”

    Christmas was3and the red dress was soon forgotten. Mother was not the one who4items that were not practical. Father5liked to splurge(放纵)whenever the budget(预算)allowed. He'd get blamed for his occasional splurging, but it was all done with the best6.

    On our last trip to town before Christmas, mother suddenly said in surprise, “Would you just look at that!” She pointed7as Dad drove past Eaton's.

    “That big red dress is gone,” she said in8“It's actually gone.” I was certain to feel a bit of yearning(渴望)in her9.

    I'll never forget that Christmas morning. I watched Mother tearing the paper off a large box that read, “Eaton's Finest Enamel Dishpan”. “Oh Frank,” she10in surprise, “just what I wanted!” Dad was sitting in his chair with a huge11on his face.

    “Only a12wouldn't give a priceless wife like mine exactly what she wants for Christmas, “Dad laughed and winked(递眼色)at me, confirming his 13and my heart filled with more love for my father than it could hold!

    Mother opened the14 With trembling hands she touched the elegant material of Big Red.

    “Oh my goodness!” her eyes were15tears. “Oh Frank. You shouldn't have” came her weak attempt at16

    “Oh, never mind that! Let's see if it17he laughed, helping her put on the wonderful dress. Mother completely 18into another person.

I watched surprisedly19by the happiness in my parents I had 20noticed before. “You look beautiful,” my dad whispered to my mom—and she surely did!

    In my living room, there is a plaque(匾) that advises me to “Bloom(开花) where you are planted.” It1me of Dorothy. I got to know Dorothy in the early 1980s，when I was teaching Early Childhood Development through a program with Union College in Barbourville, Kentucky. The job responsibilities required occasional visits to the2of each teacher in the program. Dorothy 3 in my memory as one who “bloomed” in her remote area.

    Dorothy taught in a school in Harlan County, Kentucky, Appalachian Mountain area. To get to her school from the town of Harlan, I followed a road 4around the mountain. In the eight-mile journey, I crossed the same railroad track five times, giving the possibility of getting5by the same train five times. Rather than feeling6by this drive through the mountains, I found it depressing. The7level was shocking and the small shabby houses gave me the greatest feeling of 8.

    From the moment of my arrival at the little school, all gloom(忧郁)9. Upon arriving at Dorothy's classroom, I was 10 with smiling faces and treated like a queen. The children had been prepared to show me their latest projects. Dorothy told me with a big smile that they were11poke greens salad and cornbread for “dinner” (lunch). In case you don't 12 , poke greens are a weed type plant that grows wild, especially on poor ground.

    Dorothy never13reports of exciting activities of her students. Her 14 never cooled down. When it came time to15for the testing and interviewing required to receive her Child Development Associate Certification, Dorothy was16. She came to the assessment(评价) and17in all areas. Afterward, she18me to the one-and-only steak house in the area to19her victory, as if she had received her Ph.D. degree. After the meal, she placed a little box containing an old pen in my hand. She said it was a family heirloom (传家宝), but to me it is a treasured symbol of appreciation and pride that cannot be 20 with things.

    I enjoy reading all of moving ideas from the wonderful site about people giving on their birthday. So, I1this would be my chance to experience the joy of giving on my special day.

    My husband took me to the Olive Garden, where we often had meals, and our 2was very nice. We had a great dinner experience there. Then Karina brought our 3I knew it was my time to give4she came back to the table to get our credit card, I placed the gift bag on the edge of the table and 5said, "I want to6you with a gift 7my birthday, "Oh, the8on her face! She said." No, not for9! It's your birthday!" Then she said, "Can I open it in front of you? "And I said that would be 10

    The first thing she 11 was the color of the gift bag which was purple. Purple is her favorite color, She actually12a purple tie! She opened the card and said, "It's Christmas in July. "As she was taking the gift out of the13 she said she was excited. It's wonderful to give to someone who is 14to receive! She opened the box and saw it was a purple mug(杯子). Inside the mug was a smile card and forty five dollars, a dollar15each year of my life. After seeing the16 she looked at my husband and said we did not have to 17a tip. He just 18her words and left her the tip anyway.

    Karina was so19 what she had received. I thanked her for receiving my gift. I am thankful to God for another year of life and the 20to see that every day is a great day to give.

    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 2 to keep their light lit through the 3 of 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 11 back 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 13 so I could see them but I didn't even look at them. "You've got to see what I found first," I 14 her 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.

    One cold December morning, my dad and I were walking along the road to a store to buy Christmas presents. Suddenly a car ran to us out of 1. Pushed away by my dad, I was 2 while he was unable to escape and injured. My dad 3 unconditional love to me when faced with the accident. Since that day, I have 4 the power of love and the 5it can teach to those who take anything for granted, as I did everything before.

    People wander into our lives for various reasons, but each one has something to 6, even the driver who caused the 7. He helped me a lot. Whether our 8is entirely good or not, there remains something to be gained from every person we 9. I have come to view 10 in this way. Sometimes, when schoolwork gets tough and I lack 11, I remind myself that I am here to make use of every lesson that I have been given. What a 12 it is to be able to acquire knowledge!

    This unconditional love I have for 13allows me to see the world through what some may call rose-colored glasses, which helps me to love and be loved in complete confidence as well. 14, it offers me the power to see things clearly in the15 changing world and 16myself to overcome difficulties in my life. I am 17 to learn, and because of my ability to love, I 18 the challenges that will help me grow. I approach everything with interests, and 19 an opportunity for education on every page of my books, and even with difficulties and 20.

    The sun is shining brightly out of my window. But there is no 1 in my heart. I still feel really cold.

    After the first remedy(治疗), I never feel any better. Everyone 2 me not to move anywhere. Even a little cut may 3 my life.

    “Honey,” Mommy said to me with manful 4 in her eyes. “Please go on. You're 5 enough to live on!”

    “Don't worry,” I smiled, “I'm OK, Mommy. I'll never give up.” Mommy smiled as 6 after hearing my words.

    But how can I go on? It's I who have spent each penny in my family which was 7 by my parents for their whole lives. It's my blood cancer that made 8 become old overnight, but they still have to smile and 9 me though they're being killed by the much more sorrow than I am.

    In fact, we have had no money to pay for the 10 remedy. I don't know 11 I have to be paid for so much to keep the little time in my life. It's really12.

    I don't want to be the criminal. I don't want to leave the world with an empty family and my 13 parents. I don't want to be the heavy 14 of my family in my last days.

    Suddenly all is black. I passed out 15. I don't know how many times I passed out and 16. I wish this is the last time.

A familiar song comes to my mind:

    “Mama, you gave life to me, 17 a baby into a lady; Mama, all I have to offer was a guarantee of you loving me…”

    I don't know if I'm still 18. But I'm sure I can see the drops of tears 19 from Mommy's eyes and she is smiling. She said to me, “Baby, I know you're leaving. I know I can't 20 you from leaving me. Take care of yourself whether you're in the human world or not. I will always love you!”