【推荐1】I used to hate being called upon in class mainly because I didn’t like attention drawn to myself. And unless assigned (指定) a seat by the teacher, I always chose to sit at the back of the classroom.

All this changed after I joined a sports team. It began when a teacher suggested I try out for the basketball team. At first I thought it was a crazy idea because I didn’t have a good sense of balance, nor did I have the ability to keep pace with the others on the team and they would laugh at me. But for the teacher who kept insisting on my “going for it”, I wouldn’t have decided to give a try.

Getting up the courage to go to the tryouts (选拔赛) was only the half of it! Luckily, I passed them. When I first started attending the practice sessions, I didn’t even know the rules of the game, much less what I was doing. Sometimes I’d get confused and take a shot at the wrong direction—which made me feel really stupid. Thank God, I wasn’t the only one “new” at the game, so I decided to focus on learning the game, do my best at each practice session, and not be too hard on myself for the things I didn’t know “just yet”.

I practiced and practiced. Soon I knew the rules and the “moves”. Being part of a team was fun and encouraging. Very soon the competitive part in me was winning over my lack of confidence. With time, I learned how to play and made friends in the progress—friends who respected my efforts to work hard and be a team player. I never had so much fun!

With my improved self-confidence comes more praise from teachers and classmates. I have gone from “hiding” in the back of the classroom and not wanting to call attention to myself, to raising my hand—even when I sometimes wasn’t and not 100 percent sure I had the right answer. Now, I have more self-confidence in myself. Every time I come across a challenge, my teacher’s “going for it” rings in my ears.

【推荐3】In my childhood, my mother spent her evening hours doing something for someone else. Sometimes she knitted (编织) hats for babies, and at other times, she cooked chicken soup for sick neighbors. Therefore, I wasn’t surprised when one evening my mother announced she had undertaken a new project.

“I am going to telephone seniors,” said my mother. “Every night? But you don’t even know these people.” “It doesn’t matter,” she said. “What’s important is that I listen.” I was sixteen years old and couldn’t understand why my mother was willing to spend her evenings talking to strangers. She had friends and my two older sisters to call if she felt lonely. “They will talk your ear off. Some people didn’t even stop to catch breath,” I said.

My attitude didn’t stop my mother’s enthusiasm for the project. That evening, she settled on the sofa and dialed. For a while, I listened as she asked the woman on the other line about her day and what she had eaten for dinner. When she finished the call, I said, “Why do you care whether she had cookies or rice pudding for dessert?” My mother grasped one of my hands and gave it a slight squeeze. “I’m the only person she talked to today.”

It took me more than thirty years to fully understand the meaning of that statement. Now, as my mother is nearing eighty, I find myself thinking about those nightly calls she used to make. I am often the only person who telephones my mother, and sometimes I’m the only person she speaks to all day. I ask her what she cooked for dinner, but mostly I just listen as she describes a walk she took, or how her dog Lucky stole foods from the refrigerator. I realize that my mother’s calls were life lines that ensured housebound seniors remained connected to the world. Without her, their world would have been empty.

【推荐1】I have got kinds of gifts in my big closet. I am a closet regifter(赠礼). Don’t judge me. Regifting is a longstanding southern tradition. I mean, don’t waste what you don’t want, right? Most of you probably have a shelf or a drawer at home that houses some things that are nice but just aren’t for you. So, rather than discard them, you should save them for a rainy day when you realize you need just the right thing for that person you totally forgot about.

My mom keeps a closet filled with goodies to give. And my grandmother? One year she gave my mom a really interesting sweater on Christmas Day. After dinner we pulled the videos and we watched everyone open the gifts from the year before. What did we see? My grand mother received the exactly same sweater that she had just given my mom! So see? There was no way I was going to be able to avoid the tradition.

You would think I would learn my lesson since I have had a regift or two backfire on me. Once, I sent my cousin a wedding present from my store, a clock that was given to me on my birthday by my crazy aunt Nadine. It was unique. I truly thought she would love it. Weeks later I received a thank-you note for my thoughtful gift:

Thank you so much for the wonderful clock. I was a little confused when I opened it up and there was a card inside that said, “Happy Birthday Erica. Love, Aunt Nadine”.

Awkward! But even after all that, my annoyance remains. I mean, I promise I’ll quit someday. But first, I just have to get rid of the useless gifts in my closet. Any takers?

【推荐2】A trip to a bank's ATM machine is usually a common affair, but for Jose Nunez Romaniz, his visit on a Sunday is one that he will remember for the rest of his life. The 19-year-oldwas helping his grandfather buy a pair of socks online when he noticed his account balance was low. So he drove to the nearest Wells Fargo to put money into his bank account. Little did he know, he was about to make an incredible discovery.

When he arrived at the ATM machine, Jose noticed a clear plastic bag on the ground filled with cash. It turned out to be $ 135,000 worth of $ 50 and $ 20 bills. When he first saw it, he stared at it for a few seconds, not knowing what to do. He was very shocked. He had never seen so much money. After taking a moment to collect himself, Jose did what he knew was the right thing: he called the police. They soon discovered that the money had accidentally been left behind by a worker tasked with refilling the ATM.

Jose's childhood dream has been to work in law enforcement himself and currently studies criminal justice at Central New Mexico Community College. Local businesses have showered Jose with rewards. He has received gift cards from local restaurants, sports gear, and season tickets for University of New Mexico football offered by ESPN radio. He was also given a $ 500 scholarship from an electric company. And, perhaps best of all, the police chief invited Jose to apply for a job for the department. “It was also the best gift for Mother's Day. She called me and almost started crying... She told me she was proud of me,” Jose Nunez Romaniz said.