【推荐2】I grew up in an age of delayed gratification (满足), when I had to wait for almost everything.

The mail came once a day. Classic movies were shown on television.     1     It was the same with TV shows. If you had a favorite and you missed an episode, well – you had to wait until summer to catch the rerun.

And then there was money. The banks did business on weekdays only. They opened at 9 and closed at 4.    2     Well, check under the sofa cushions or borrow from family or friends.

Such was the world as recently as the 1970s. Everything seemed to operate on a strict clock, and the words "on demand" had no meaning, for there was no force on earth that could change the US Mail’s schedule, or get the bank to stay open a minute past.    3    

And then, seemingly overnight, everything changed. ATMs, movies on DVD and, of course, the personal computer, meant that we could have almost anything we wanted, when we wanted it.

However, I am not charmed by what we have gained.    4     Having to wait for almost everything meant living a life in slower motion. When one is subject to unchanging, institutional schedules, one has no choice but to wait.    5    

【推荐3】It was a warm sunny spring morning. I had just finished driving my son to the sheltered workshop. I was rushing back home, zipping along the mountain roads that I know so well, with a thousand thoughts on my mind, with a ton of wishes and worries crowding around my brain. I wouldn't say that I was speeding but I wasn't driving as safely as I normally do either.

Suddenly, I saw a dark form in the road ahead. I stepped on the brakes and saw that it was a big black dog standing right in the road. I braked harder and came to a full stop. The dog just stood there looking at me in a strange sort of way. Then he shook his head disapprovingly and walked slowly off the road and up into the woods.

I drove away slowly wondering about that dog. Then for the first time that day I noticed the sunshine giving off the light green leaves of the trees. I noticed the butterflies floating above them. I noticed the birds hovering in the sky. For the first time that day I felt the Love of our Creator. I drove on with a clear mind and a warm heart thanking God for sending that dog to slow me down and to wake me up.

Looking back now I see I needed that reminder. I was getting too lost in my own life again to notice the real LIFE all around me. I needed to see again that life is short and I shouldn't rush through it. I needed to see that life is precious and I should cherish every second of it. I needed to see that life is beautiful and I should welcome that beauty into my heart, mind, and soul. I needed to see that life is LOVE. May you enjoy every second of it and may you add your own love to it as well.

【推荐2】My family didn’t talk much shout my grandfather when I was growing up. He had been a doctor in the British Army and served in the First World War. While many families had relatives in the British Army who fought on the front, it wasn’t something you need to talk about with pride. It’s only as an adult then that I have started to look deeper into my grandfather’s life.

After graduating from medical school in 1906,my grandfather worked as a resident surgeon at the Waterford Hospital for 12 month before joining the Royal Army Medical Corps and starting his first tour of India.

Over the next several years,he served in Rawalpindi,Ferozepore,Multan,Rangoon and Mandalay.

The First World War began on July 28,1914 and two weeks later, my grandfather was on active service in France and Belgium．He was captured(俘获)at Landrecies on October 18,1914 and was kept in prison at Sennelager Prisoner of War Camp in Germany. Following his release on June 26,1915,he returned to London.________A month later he was back on active service,first with the Mediterranean Expeditionary Force in Malta,then Gallipoli and then back to France and Belgium25where he served as the officer commanding No. 44 Field Ambulance until near the war’s end in November 1918.

While his army records afford us a timeline on his service, they don’t show much about his experiences on the battlefield. Thankfully; the surviving sketch (素描) of him at the Battle of the Somme and the accompanying caption (说明文字) by the artist Muirhead Bone help to fill in the gaps.The original,entitled“Waiting for the Wounded”, is housed in the Imperial War Museum,London.

When I was a child, a copy of this sketch hung in my parents’ bedroom, but I didn’t know its importance. Now, as I try to know better about my grandfather, it takes on new significance for me.

【推荐3】Going home on break is always a bittersweet feeling. At some point during the semester, college may have started to feel like a second home.

I’m lucky since I live locally. When I tell people that I live so close to home, they often ask, “Why are you living on campus if your house is so close to the school?” And the answer was always a sense of community.

Yes, I’ve heard of the horror stories of some commuters who weren’t able to form as much of a bond with peers as people who were living on campus. But to me, everyone in my residential hall was like a big family. Of course, I was closer to some people more than others, but we would all support each other.

College is often seen as a place where everyone tends themselves until they make it to graduation, where people compete for that internship (实习) or research position that basically everyone in your major is aiming for. But here, it’s more common to see people studying with each other during reading period until 3 a.m., or bringing Starbucks to their friends.

Like most things, there are negative things about independence as well. Staying at home for the longer break reminded me of every little thing that my mom would do for me and my siblings. I don’t know about you, but my siblings often scream and run around until their bedtime. Sometimes, I wish I was back at my dorm or the library reading a book. Instead, I have to plug my ears to try to not let them drive me crazy when my parents are at work. However, at other times, their enthusiasm really does help relieve my stress after a week filled with exams and labs right before spring break.

Being home really is a double-edged sword. It’s comforting to be around people you’ve known for your entire life, but it also comes with the sacrifice   (牺牲) of some of the things you built into your daily routine in college. But what can I say, it’s always good to go back home — nothing beats Chinese food.

【推荐3】One afternoon, while staying with friends at their house there, my husband and I decided to go for a walk along the traffic-free country road in the area. We met a beautiful Golden Retriever. He seemed exceptionally friendly so we stopped to play with him, throwing a stick which he retrieved（取回）several times happily. When we continued our walk, he followed us. I couldn't deny that we were enjoying his company.

After about twenty minutes, we found ourselves walking along a dirt road in an unfamiliar area. One house, almost hidden by tall trees, seemed somehow strange. I wanted to get as far away from that place as possible.

Just then, the door to the house opened and five dogs rushed out, barking as they ran toward us. I felt terrified and couldn't move. All of a sudden, our new friend appeared between the dogs and us. He faced them-all five of them-barking and baring his teeth. I was amazed to see the attacking dogs stop in their tracks ten feet away from him. Our protector held them there while we escaped.

At a safe distance, we looked back and saw the five dogs heading back toward their house. But the Golden Retriever was nowhere in sight. I felt an ache in my heart; I missed our friend already.

With a feeling of emptiness, we made our way back to the house, hoping the whole way that we would see him again. But it was not to be.

When I told our friend about the encounter, her eyes flew wide open as she exclaimed, "It was an angel!"

To this day I have no doubt, A four-legged angel protected us.