It was a Sunday morning. Lori was busy writing in her book. Marilyn was drinking coffee and I was reading a newspaper. Suddenly, Lori looked up and asked，“Why are there more pictures of Lisa than there are of 1?" Lisa is our older daughter.
I stared back, not understanding the 2. Lori left the room. I looked at Marilyn, "Are there more pictures of Lisa than of Lori?"
"I've never 3 them. I don't know," replied Marilyn.
"But 4 would Lori ask such a question?" I asked. After a few minutes of thought Marilyn said, "When Lisa was born, you were taking photos. You hardly went 5 without a camera. When Lori was born videos became 6. You used a video camera to record nearly everything in our life. There must be hundreds of videos of Lori in the computer that Lori has 7 seen or doesn't remember."
Late that night, when we were alone, I turned on the computer and found the 8 about Lori.
“What are you going to do?" Marilyn asked.
"Her birthday is coming," I said, "Let's make an album for her as a gift. I don't know if the album will answer her question, but at least she'll know that we 9 enough to find her an answer."
Over the next few days, we secretly 10 all the videos. We watched and selected until we were 11. Marilyn had them made into photos. When the photos were returned, we placed them into an album. When we looked at the album, all the sweet memories came 12. We hoped it showed how 13 she was to us.
On June 7, when passing Loris room to leave for work. I opened the door and slipped the album inside. Attached to it was a birthday card with a note 14 why her mother and I had put the album together.
It was about eight o'clock when my office telephone rang. I picked up the receiver. A tiny voice spoke, "I love you, Daddy," she said and disconnected. I knew our 15 had been received.
It does not always come easy to discover oneself. From a young age, I had a strong sense of who I was to become, 1 an accident made me redefine (重审）myself.
To me, skating was above all. There was 2 in this world that filled my heart with such joy. I spent twenty-four hours a week practicing my 3 . Having no social life or interests but skating, my devotion( 挚爱） brought me first place medals in nearly every 4.
Unfortunately, in one show, I fell down and hurt myself 5. After several X-rays and MRI(磁共振）scans, the 6(told)me that I couldn't return to my sport any more. The pain in my back was hard to bear and even the 7 daily tasks became difficult.
As my passion(激情）was 8, I had little sense of who I was to become. After eight months of suffering, something had to 9. Instead of wasting my days sitting around painfully, I began to put my 10 into local community service projects. By volunteering 11 a swimming teacher and summer reading assistant for kids, I got an idea of who I 12 to become. After a few months, I devoted time to my interest in the arts. Little by Little, I 13 out of the shadow( 阴影）and rebuilt my confidence.
Sometimes, some 14 rocks block (阻碍）our way. We can choose to stay behind or try to climb over. My accident was a rock that 15 to stop me from reaching success. Today I'm a very confident and optimistic person.
In San Francisco, I had this amazing experience. While I was waiting for the bus, I saw a homeless person carrying a 1 which said that he would like a cup of hot coffee.
As soon as I 2it, I knew it was time for me to carry out the task. I joyfully ran across the street, thinking that getting 3 a cup of hot coffee would be great. I went to Uncle Bob's nearby and asked the young lady behind the counter to give me a 4. I then walked back to the street corner where the man had 5. As I went up to him. I could see that the 6 I got, the more joy in his eyes I could see.
When I 7 him the hot coffee, I just said, "This is 8 you, my dear." I could see so much 9 in his face and even a tear (眼泪) was running down. He kept thanking me and holding his coffee like the biggest 10 and prize in his life. It made me cry that a(n) 11 action can bring so much joy and make someone feel really warn.
I walked back to the 12 with such a happy hop. When the bus driver opened the door and I wanted to pay the bus fee, 13, he waved me through and said, "Honey, you don't need to pay. This is on me." He explained that it 14 his heart to see that I gave away free coffee.
This 15 moment was the warmest in my heart and it gave my day and my life a brand new start. It brings me such a joy to simply love and bless.
I have five children, so our house is always noisy. 1, I love gardening and my garden helps me relax.
For a long time, I 2 the garden of peace and quiet. When the children followed me into the garden, I would expect 3 to be out of sight. And I would hand out tasks.
"Here: you 4 the onions, you dig the holes, and…" Soon they would be 5 or their arms would be sore, and they would leave me to myself.
But during a recent spring, 6 I was working in the garden, my 13-year-old son, Josiah noticed me. He 7 a tool and began helping. Working as a team, we finished the job in no time at all. I 8 Josiah, realizing that I'd enjoyed working with him.
The same thing happened—-one or two of the 9 would appear and join in the gardening from time to time. Each time, I would feel 10 that the work was lighter because of their help.
One day, when I was picking the peas(豌豆) and having a taste 11, Abby saw me and ran over. I put several peas into her mouth. She just loved how 12 they were.
"Mama, I want the others to try them too."
Suddenly, I realized I had been wrong for long, I'd tried to keep the 13 of gardening to myself, and here was a child who couldn't wait to 14 with others, "Sure, honey, let's pick some. We'll make a wonderful supper."
Now I enjoy all of the garden's beauties with the children. We bring the 15 back home, preparing and cooking the produce together, because we know that everything is better when shared.
My son Daniel began surfing at the age of 13. After school each day he put on his wet suit and waited to be challenged by three-to-six-foot waves. Daniel's love for the ride was tested one 1 afternoon.
"Your son's been in an accident," the lifeguard(救生员)reported to my 2 Mike over the phone hurriedly." 3 he came up to the top of the water, the point of the board was headed toward his eye."
Mike rushed our son to the hospital. He 4 26 stitches(缝合)from the corner of his eye to the bridge of his nose.
I was 5 home from a meeting while Daniel's eye was being stitched. Mike drove 6 to the airport after they left the doctor's office. He greeted 7 at the gate while Daniel was waiting in the car.
"Daniel?" I questioned. I remember thinking the 8 must have been terrible that day.
"He's been in an accident，but he's going to be fine." Mike comforted me.
I ran to the car. My son reached out both arms, crying, "Oh, Mom, I'm so glad you're home."
I sobbed(抽泣)in his arms, telling him how 9 I felt about not being there when the lifeguard called.
"It's okay, Mom," he said. "I'll be fine. The doctor said I can go back in the water in eight days."
Was he 10? I wanted to tell him that he wasn't allowed to go near water again until he was 35, but 11 I controlled myself.
He kept asking me to let him go back on the 12 for the next seven days. One day after 13 "No" to him for the 100th time, he beat me at my own game.
"Mom, you taught us never to 14 what we love."
I gave in. Back then Daniel was just a boy with deep 15 for surfing. Now he is among the top 25 surfers in the world.
It was two days before Christmas, and David wanted to give a card to everyone in his class. He opened the bag and looked 1. "What are you looking for?" his mom asked. "Ms. Ross gave us a 2 of everyone in the class, "said David." I can't find mine. If I don t have my list, I won't know what names to put on the cards."
"Take 3 out and we'll look together," suggested Mom. They shook out all his books and 4 all the pockets in his bag, but no Christmas list. "Now I can't give out cards at school, "David said sadly.
"Don't 5 so easily, said Mom. She took a piece of paper and asked him how many children are in his class. "Seventeen," answered David "I'll never 6 them all."
"Wait, "said Mom, numbering the paper one to seventeen." Now, who do you often play with?" "Brian, Todd and John." She wrote down their 7. "And who sits in the first row in your classroom？”“Hmm…Angie, Jill and Brad." David tried to remember what his 8 looked like and who sat where, " And Rebecca, Travis and Erin in the second row." David's mom wrote as fast as she could.
Now, they had 9 names. Who had he missed? David thought hard.
"Why don't you write out the 10 that you have names for?" said Mom. "Maybe you'll think of the 11 name while you're writing."
David picked out a card. He 12 it and then put it into the envelope. He did this sixteen times. "13 is missing?" One more time he thought about who sat where in his classroom.
14 he said, "I know! I know who is missing from the list!"
"who?" said Mom.
"We forgot 15!" David said. "I'm going to wish me a Merry Christmas, too.
One morning, when I was leaving for my business, a middle-aged man came up and asked me for help. He said he had no 1 to get food for his large family.
You look 2. Why don't you work？" I asked." Simply because I cannot get work，sir.""If I give you work, what you want?" "3 I can get bread for my family, sir." he answered.
I decided to find out if he 4 meant what he said. "OK. I'll give you one pound an hour, if you will 5 a brick(砖)under your arm and walk around the square for five hours without stopping. ""Thank you, sir. I will. "
I found a brick and started him on his walk before I went to my 6. I never thought he would he had 7.
When I came back five hours later, I saw him 8 walking, with the brick under his arm.
I stopped him and gave him 9 pounds. He thanked me and told me that some people had 10 to help him when they knew why he was doing all this. He would go and ask 11 for work. Before leaving, he asked if I would give him the 12.I did.
Several years later, a well-dressed man greeted me on a train. Seeing I was not sure who he was, he 13 that he was the brick man and had his own business now. "You know, I still keep that brick and always value it as the most 14 thing I have as it has brought me luck and success."
15, it was not the brick that made the man successful, but his faithfulness(坚定) in doing even a very little thing.
My friends and I joined a two-day survival（生存） training course in the mountains. The first day was really 1 －there was so much to do! Arriving at the campsite, we were divided into groups and given a tent, some food, a 2 and a compass（ 指 南 针 ）. Standing next to a small river, Fanny 3camping in the grassy area nearby. However, our instructor, Mr. Lee, pointed out that it might flood（淹没） if it rained. In the end, we found a 4 area. Putting up the tent was very hard. 5 Mr. Lee helped us a lot.
By the time we had put up the tent,6 was really hungry. “We wouldn't have got this hungry if we had brought some snacks.” Peter said. We all told him to 7 complaining（抱怨） and help us start a fire to cook our food 8. Realizing we were having trouble making the fire, he finally 9.
The next day started early. Woken by a strange noise. Peter went to see what was 10. “Some cows have eaten our breakfast!” he shouted. “That's all because you didn't 11the food properly last night.” said Mr. Lee.
Worried that Mr. Lee was angry with us, we tried very hard on our next 12 － using the map and compass to find a secret location. We made it to the location 13 the other group did. We all felt very proud of 14.
The survival training course was a great 15. Now I feel I could survive anywhere!
