【推荐1】Many of us share an incredible bond with our pets. They provide companionship, bring happiness and for some even provide a sense of purpose. So, when a pet passes away—or goes missing or is stolen—it can trigger (引发) all sorts of painful emotions.     1     . It’s difficult to go through. Here’s some advice for dealing with the death of a pet.

You are normal

Some may not understand how upsetting the loss of a pet can be and can make you feel you’re overreacting. You should not feel ashamed of your emotions, and the grieving process can’t be forced or sped along. Be patient with yourself.     2     .

    3    

Bottling up your feelings will only make matters worse in the long run. Don’t be afraid to show your emotions. It’s okay to cry or feel angry, after all you have lost someone very special and dear to you. Don’t be hard on yourself if some days are more difficult than others.     4     . These can be places you often went to, or the date of your pet’s arrival or their birthday.

Open up

    5     . Don’t be afraid to speak to family and friends, especially if they knew your pet, as they can support you. If a pet is lost or stolen, this can be very difficult. One thing is writing down how you feel and what you would have said to your pet. This can work for any form of loss.

【推荐3】From difficult bosses to potential layoffs, work can be full of challenging situations. You may wonder whether to step back from your career and further your education to better your life.     1    , because it’s such a personal decision and many factors are involved. Here are some questions to consider to help guide your decision.

Do I have the necessary resources (财力) to make this happen?

    2    ? Is that impact acceptable to you? For example, if you have to take out loans to cover your expenses, you might want to get clear on how much debt you’re willing to take on to get that degree.

    3    ?

You may be better served by professional certificates, or conferences, instead of a college degree. Wait until you’ve done some research and know what would best suit you, Reach out to your network to see if you can identify people who are already in the positions you desire to be in. Ask them what types of training programs they would recommend.

Do I know what to go back to school for?

What type of program/ degree would best serve your interests?     4    . The right program for you may not be immediately obvious. You’ll want to know which program will impact your earning potential most based on the specific positions and goals you’re trying to achieve.

Is it really education that’s holding me back, and not something else?

If you’re sure it’s schooling, then maybe it really is time to go back. However, make sure you know it’s not other factors like company culture. Going back to school is a big undertaking, so you have to make sure it’s the right solution.     5    .

【推荐1】The Internet is an amazing tool, especially for children who want to learn. But it also has dark side. Parents have to ask themselves, “When is the right time to let my child go online?”

This is a much bigger problem than it used to be. Now we live in a time when a family could have more than one computer. It is common for children to have their own computers or laptops. Some also have phones and tablets (平板电脑).

Parents do have difficulty in acting correctly. On the one hand, it would be foolish to keep children from the Internet as they can learn a lot from it. But on the other hand, parents shouldn’t let children do whatever they like on the Internet. The problem is that everybody is busy nowadays, and this is certainly true for parents. How many parents have the time to sit don with their kids when they do their homework online? Some do, but more are just not able to.

So at what age should children be allowed to use the Internet? According to a survey, the average age when parents allow their children to go online independently is about eight years old.

As a nonparent (无子女者)，I do find it hard to agree. I always believe that education is the key to success. However, I think children as young as eight may face a lot of dangers when they use the Internet without parents being around. So I think schools and parents have the responsibility to teach children not only how to use the Internet, but also how to do it safely.

【推荐2】“Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never harm me,” is an old saying my fourth-grade teacher once told me. I grew up thinking as long as people didn’t physically hurt each other, hurtful words were to be tolerated, but I changed my mind after reading Linda O’Connell’s story, Two Little Words with a Big Impact. She discussed two words: “and” and “but”, and explained how “but” can be one of the most destructive words.

Then I realized I had been hurt by the word “but”, and that I had wounded others, too, by using the word thoughtlessly. For example, when I was a teacher and edited my students’ stories, I would always say their content was good, but then I would add comments such as “but you need to make your characters more realistic.” I could have said, “Your content is good and making your characters more believable will make it even better.

In setting up guidelines for commenting on writers, I realize we need to praise each other, make helpful remarks, and then praise each other again, without using the word” but. “I remember a college professor who said,” There is no such thing as constructive criticism. Criticism is criticism. She has now passed on, but her words remain with me always.

My fourth-grade teacher’s quote was aimed at what she thought was harmless playground teasing, but even teasing hurts. Today, we can read sad news related to many stories where people have been terribly hurt by ugly words and suffered a lot. Now I realize the importance of thinking before speaking, even to avoid seemingly unimportant words like “but.” Sticks and stones break our bones, but thoughtless words also do harm. They can leave marks for a lifetime.