【推荐2】My cellphone rang while I was working on my computer. I looked at the phone and saw it was my 17-year-old son, Tom. I quickly picked it up. “Mom, I got a 71 on the test. I did it.” With those few words, I could feel my heart start to pound.

Living in New York State, students cannot graduate from high school unless they pass at least five exams: one in English, one in science, two in history and one in math. For most students, who work hard, attend class, and do their homework, it isn’t that hard. But for Tom, who is dyslexic(朗读困难的), it is such a real challenge that some teachers have feared he would never be able to even attempt, never mind achieve.

We were honest with him about his trouble, letting him know that there was nothing to be ashamed of. Some people learn differently. If he was willing to work, we would help him find a way to do as much as he could in his academic career. All that was standing in his way was this math test. He had taken it three times and did better each time, but he continued to fail. He was starting to get a bit tired of me saying this was a marathon not a sprint(冲刺). My heart broke each time we would get the failing results.

“Mom, thanks. I love you. Thanks for believing I could do this.”

For one of the few times in my life, I really had nothing left to say. For that one brief moment I knew, really, really, knew that everything we did to help our son achieve what he wanted was worth it.

When was the last time someone unexpectedly did something nice for you? Not someone you knew, but a total stranger? It's happened to me a few times, but two instances really stand out.

A few years ago, I was dining in a restaurant with a friend who kept talking about himself, completely not aware of the fact that I was sitting there in misery. It wasn't my friend's talks that made me suffer. I was recovering from a broken heart, and just sitting down to dinner reminded me of my last relationship. I could have burst into tears right there at the table.

When we picked up the check, the waitress said, “Your meal was already paid for.” My friend and I didn't have a clue how it happened. Then I remembered a man I saw out of the corner of my eye. He was dressed in mostly white, sat down at the bar, had a beer, and stayed for maybe ten minutes. The waitress said, “Yes, the gentleman in white paid for you.” It felt like an angel was saying, “I see you, honey. It's going to be okay.”

Just last year, I was running a halfmarathon. With just 1 mile to go, I was out of gas. Runners call it “hitting_the_wall”. I thought I couldn't move another inch. Out of nowhere, a stranger came up to me and said, “What's your name, sweetie? Jennifer? Okay, Jennifer, let's go! Come on! It's just around the corner! You can do it!” And he ran with me until I picked up my pace. I found him at the finish line to thank him for the encouragement only to learn he wasn't even supposed to be in the race that day.

I still shake my head when I think of these momentary angels that came to me at my point of need. Do you have any experiences like these?

【推荐2】Every man wants his son to be somewhat of a clone, not in features but in footsteps. As he grows you also age, and your ambitions become more unachievable. You begin to realize that your boy, in your footsteps, could probably accomplish what you hoped for. But footsteps can be muddied and they can go off in different directions.

My son Jody has hated school since day one in kindergarten. Science projects waited until the last moment. Book reports weren’t written until the final threat.

I’ve been a newspaperman all my adult life. My daughter is a university graduate working toward her master’s degree in English. But Jody? When he entered the tenth grade he became a “vo-tech” student(技校学生). They’re called “motorheads” by the rest of the student body.

When a secretary in my office first called him “motorhead”, I was shocked. “Hey, he’s a good kid,” I wanted to say. “And smart, really.”

I learned later that motorheads are, indeed, different. They usually have dirty hands and wear dirty work clothes. And they don’t often make school honor rolls(光荣榜).

But being the parent of a motorhead is itself an experience in education. We who labor in clean shirts in offices don’t have the abilities that motorheads have. I began to learn this when I had my car crashed. The cost to repair it was estimated at $800. “Hey, I can fix it,” said Jody. I doubted it, but let him go ahead, for I had nothing to lose.

My son ,with other motorheads, fixed the car. They got parts from a junkyard, and ability from vo-tech classes. The lost was $25 instead of $800.

Since that first repair job, a broken air-conditioner, a non-functioning washer and a non-toasting toaster have been fixed. Neighbors and co-workers trust their car repairs to him.

These kids are happiest when doing repairs. They joke and laugh and are living in their own relaxed world. And their minds are bright despite their dirty hands and clothes.

I have learned a lot from my motorhead: publishers need printers, engineers need mechanics, and architects need builders. Most important, I have learned that fathers don’t need clones in footsteps or anywhere else.

My son may never make the school honor roll. But he made mine.

【推荐3】Born in Philadelphia the youngest of five children, Ruiz grew up in a loving household in suburban South Jersey. But that is not her full story. Ruiz's father passed away when she was three, leaving her mother to raise the five children. The family moved more than she'd like to remember -three times when she was in 5th grade alone.

Though her mother was a working single parent trying to support her own family, she didn't hesitate to help others. Friends arrived needing a temporary place to crash and stayed indefinitely. Ruiz's aunt, diagnosed with cancer, moved in with the family after her graduation from high school and they cared for her through the end.

Ruiz became an EMT and worked nights in Philadelphia, eventually enrolling in Rowan College at Gloucester County, where she sought to develop her skills as a storyteller. Ruiz got such good grades at RCGC that she was offered a partial scholarship to study journalism at the University of Miami but realizing she could not get enough to cover everything the scholarship wouldn't, she didn't go to Miami. She applied to Rowan. She graduated with two degrees-Journalism and Radio, Television &. Film-from the College of Communication &. Creative Arts.

Last fall, Ruiz joined the staff of Rowan Radio 89. 7 WGLS-FM where she quickly became news director and this spring began an internship with the Elvis Duran and the Morning Show, a nationally syndicated radio program in New York City. The Duran program exposed her to a world of career possibilities, from behind the scenes production to on-air talent.

“I know what it's like to feel isolated, to feel like your story is not getting heard, " she said."Rowan provided me the tools to give a voice to the voiceless. My goal is to share powerful stories so that I can inspire as many people as possible to love themselves and to follow their dreams. "

【推荐1】Derek Rabelo is not the only surfer to conquer Hawaii's famous Pipeline big-wave break， but while all others use their sight to do it， this young professional surfer must rely only on his other senses． That's because he is completely blind．

When Derek was born about 24 years ago， he got his name from Derek Ho， the first Hawaiian surfing world champion． A surfing enthusiast himself， Emeslo Rabelo dreamed that his son would share the talent of his uncle， a professional surfer． Unfortunately， Derek was born completely blind， but this didn't stop his family from believing that he could do anything he wanted， even if that meant becoming a surfer．

At age 2， Derek received a bodyboard and the beaches of Guarapari， Brazil， became his backyard． He was always comfortable in the water and surfing was in his blood， but he didn't actually try riding a wave until he turned 17， when his father bought him a surfboard． His father taught him the basics and encouraged him to keep practising， but after successfully standing up on the surfboard， Derek knew he needed to become much better if he was going to achieve Emeslo's dream and become a professional surfer． So he joined the Praia do Moroo surf school， where he studied under coach Fabio Maru．

Standing up on a surfboard and conquering small waves is one thing， while gathering the courage to take on Hawaii's board-breaking Pipeline is another． But that was exactly what Derek Rabelo set out to do just months after learning how to surf． Everyone told him it was too dangerous， but he felt he could do it． And he did， earning the praise of famous professional surfers like Kelly Slater and Mick Fanning． Now 24， Rabelo has been surfing the Pipeline every winter since．