It's always been a dream for Alex to take a trip with her mother, but it was a death in the family that1made them both realize how precious life really is.

    “After losing my grandma, I2that neither I nor my mum will3be here, and that I can't4the right time to come,” the 27-year-old girl told The Huffington post.

    “After a week of5, my amazing mum and I are off to travel around the United States. We will be travelling from New York to Los Angeles interviewing6who are changing the world for the better and7the dream I had for a very long time: to travel together with my mother. I have taken a month off work and we are on our way.8are waiting!” Alex said.

    So in August，Alex and her 63-year-old retired mother，Halina, traveled to the United States for a three-week 9that took them from coast to coast.

    Alex is the10of Looking For Heroes, a social media project, in which she photographs many of the interesting people she meets with,11unique tidbits (花边新闻) of their life stories at the same time. The 12mother and daughter traveled across the nation, visiting cities13Knoxville, Tennessee, New York City, Los Angeles and Washington. Along the way they took photos 14 famous backdrops (背景) in each city, making some15memories.

    Meanwhile, Alex16much from her mother. Her mother often said “My  17to young people would be to learn new things, and what you have learned will be your biggest 18in life. With age you stop19about things that don't matter. With your priorities (优先) changing, 20and health become the most important.

    While traveling from New Zealand to Newcastle in the UK, I arrived in London to have my plane transfer(转机）. But unfortunately, the flight to Newcastle had been1 due to weather conditions.

    The airline was2—offering me a choice between a night in a hotel or a six-hour bus ride to my destination. With no3as to whether a flight to New Zealand would happen in the next two days, I 4the bus ride.

    I5all my baggage in the luggage compartment (行李箱）of the bus ,6 I would need nothing on the way. A young lady sitting beside me could see how7I was and asked me if anyone would be meeting me on my 8.

    I realized that I had left my cell phone in my bag and had no9to get in touch with my relatives. They would be 10me at the airport about five hour before the11got to Newcastle, not12what had happened. Without hesitation, the young lady13me the use of her cell- phone.

    When the bus made a rest stop, she asked me if I was getting out. I 14that I couldn't as I still had sandals(凉鞋）on, and15feet weren't ideal for the cold weather. When, she got back on, with a —16she'd bought me some tea and  a packet of sweets to eat.

    When we 17arrived in Newcastle, the lady18that someone was there to meet me. I asked her to wait a moment while I got my19to repay her, but when I looked up she had20 I was unable to even say thanks to her.

    One day after school I was just finishing up some math homework. My dad came back from work and sat right beside me1over my homework with me. We made corrections 2 After that we3and my dad said,＂ I will always4every moment spending time talking with you.＂

    I remember my Dad telling me his stories of when he was 5My dad didn't have a father6He was always moving from place to place with my 7My dad wasn't the easiest kid to 8He would 9with kids at school, which made my grandma worried. He'd act out to release the anger he had from not having his father present in his10and teenage years.

    At high school, things got a little 11 He made a football team, he did well and didn't get into as much 12as before. He also made many friends13those friends was my uncle. My Dad and Uncle were friends all throughout high school. It was through my uncle14my Mom and Dad met15Later, they got married. After I was born, my dad felt that becoming a 16was an honor and that he would not be17in my life.

    I suddenly looked up to see my Dad18at me. I could see in my Dad's eyes how he longed for a19 like this. I continued to do my math homework and20my Dad say,＂ I love you, always.＂

    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.

    A Michigan man, named Bob, was alone when he left his farmhouse on New Year's Eve to collect firewood. Expecting a journey of only several meters, Bob was just 1 long johns (秋裤), a shirt and slippers (拖鞋) when he went outside,2 the temperature being around -4℃. 3, he fell down and broke his neck. He4 for help but his nearest neighbor is about a quarter mile5and it was 10:30 pm.

    6 , Bob's Kelsey, a five-year-old Golden Retriever (金毛寻回犬) came. She kept Bob warm by 7 on top of him, and kept him 8 by licking (舔) his hands and face. She kept barking for 9 but never left his side. Bob said: "With Kelsey keeping 10 with me, I knew I had to 11 this and that it was my choice to stay alive."

    By morning Bob's voice was gone, but Kelsey didn't 12 shouting still. Bob's neighbor  13 discovered him after hearing Kelsey's shouts and called 911. When Bob arrived in hospital, his temperature was14 21 ℃. Normal body temperature is 37 ℃, so Bob was 15 to find out that he didn't have any injury16 cold. "I'm sure it was because of Kelsey's 17to keep me warm and aware," said Bob.

    And to the surprise of doctors, Bob made a quick 18 from his neck injury. "I think animals can help and his 19 hero did keep Bob alive and really make a big 20 ," said Chaim Colen, MD, Neurosurgeon (神经外科医生) at McLaren.

    At the age of 60, my father was hit by a car when he walked to a nearby supermarket to buy vegetables. After 1 for two months in hospital, he finally woke up. His waking up 2 all our family. 3, he didn't know any of us. Doctors said his brain was hurt so 4 that he had lost all his memory. And his mental age (心理年龄) was only five. We were sorry to hear about the bad news.

    Since I was his only child, it was my 5 to look after him. He forgot 6 everything, but he did remember he liked sweets. I used the sweets as a way of 7 bad behaviors. I would gave him one sweet 8 he didn't sit on the ground, a second for stopping painting on the wall, and another for not trying to put clothes on the dog.

    Dad became the 9 child in town. He climbed up the tree to catch a bird and couldn't get down after it 10 away. He broke my window with a ball and 11 our telephone in water like washing clothes. When I told him he was doing 12 things, he would answer smilingly, "I like that!" My son, then aged five, and two eight-year-old daughters, welcomed their 13 playmate. He would happily make them real cigarettes, 14 his sweets with them, and carry them high in the apple tree to 15 apples.

    It is eight years since the 16. Dad has accepted the fact that he is the 17 of his three playmates but not a brother. He has also accepted that they grow taller but his 18 stays the same. Though it is still 19 to take care of him, he brings us a lot of fun. In some way I think it is a(n) 20 thing to look after dad like looking after a child. How many people can have the chance to care for a child-like parent?