I didn’t know the lady, but I saw her often around town with her two small children. She appeared to be shy, always looking down, trying not to make eye contact. She often wore the same clothes, and so did her children. I felt her discomfort when I saw her at the supermarket checkout. She reminded me of myself years ago. We had to go through a tough time.

Back then, I couldn’t afford a new winter coat for my daughter, and I didn’t know what I was going to do. Luckily, my three younger children could wear hand-me-downs. One night, I said to myself in my heart that I wished someone to offer me help. I did it for the first time since my husband’s unemployment.

The next morning, a neighbour came into the place where I worked. “I know you must feel unbelievable, This morning, I had an overwhelming(无法抗拒的)feeling that you needed this,” she whispered. She insisted on giving me twenty dollars. My eyes started to tear as she continued, “I also have a box of clothes in my car that I was going to donate. Please take what you need. “It was really a shock of getting her help. Was this the response to my word the night before?

Going through the large box of clothes, I found several winter items for my children, including a dark purple jacket that looked like it would fit my daughter. Although grateful, I felt embarrassed. The woman must have sensed my discomfort. She raised my chin so I could look at her. “We all need help at one time or another,” she said. “One day, you’ll be the one helping someone in need.”

I thanked her and promised I would always try to pay it forward.

Looking at the lady at the supermarket checkout, I knew perhaps it was the proper time.

Jeff, my best friend in college, and I had many conversations during the year but I will always remember the time he told me about his family. His father, a successful physician, was cold and strict in Jeff’s words. His father had even paved the way for Jeff to attend the same college from which he had graduated.

However, Jeff had a strong passion for skiing. When he graduated from high school, he decided to decline his father’s offer and, instead, to work with a ski patrol (滑雪巡逻队). With pain in his eyes, Jeff told me he still remembered the day when he told his father he was going to give up college and take a job at a ski resort.

As Jeff recalled, upon hearing Jeff’s decision, his father looked off into the distance. Then came the words that still echoed in Jeff’s mind: “You lazy kid. No son of mine is going to work with a ski patrol and does not attend college. I should have known you’d never amount to anything!” The two had not spoken since that conversation.

At the age of twenty seven, Jeff became a successful business planner at a company, but without a degree. To further his career, he decided to come back to the area near where he grew up to attend college, but he certainly did not want his father to know what he was doing. He said he was doing this for himself, not for his father. He said it over and over again.

Jeff’s sister had always remained supportive of Jeff’s decisions. She stayed in contact with their father, but Jeff had made her promise that she would not share any information about his life with him.

The day when the graduation ceremony came, I, as the president of Students’ Union, took charge of seating the guests before it started. Suddenly. I noticed a man with a confused expression.   

“Excuse me,” he said as he politely approached me. “What is happening here today?”

“It’s graduation day,” I replied, smiling. “Well, that’s odd,” he said, “my daughter asked me to meet her at this address.” His eyes sparkled and he smiled. “Maybe she completed her associate’s degree and wanted to surprise me!” I helped him find a seat.

As I left him, he said, “Thank you. By the way, I’m Dr. Holstrom.”

Afterwards, the principal invited the graduates to step onto the stage to receive their diplomas.

Joan excitedly packed her bags for her upcoming trip with her family. They were going to drive from New York to Virginia to visit relatives. She could not wait. She had missed playing with her cousins and talking to her aunt and uncle.

After all of the suitcases had been loaded into the car, Joan’s dad looked to Joan and her mother. “Is everyone ready for our road trip?” They both grinned (露齿而笑) and nodded.

It was going to be quite a long journey, and within a couple of hours Joan had already begun to feel tired. She began to nod off when she noticed that the car began to veer (突然变向) to the side of the road.

“Use the spare tire in the trunk. Then we can replace it when we reach Virginia,” she suggested. Joan’s father looked down at his feet sheepishly (羞怯地). “I ... haven’t had the spare tire replaced since the last time we had a flat.”

Her mother seemed frustrated (沮丧), but tried to remain positive. “Maybe we can call a service,” she suggested.

But a quick glance at their cellphones told them that there was no reception in the area. Joan looked at her mother in the front seat, and her father still staring blankly (茫然地) at the flat tire outside. Both of them looked concerned.

Joan began to get worried. No other cars had passed by in a while and it seemed like they were far away from a town center.

Joan looked out the window, wondering if they would have to sleep in the car or if there was any way they could possibly find someone to help them. Would they ever make their way to Virginia? Her relatives would surely be worried about them.