【推荐1】It was with heavy hearts that my son and I worked to prepare his car for a milestone journey—the day he moved across the country after twenty years of living under my roof．

Our work went slowly into the afternoon．The Sunday baseball game came on．Our hometown Cardinals were playing the Atlanta Braves．I overheard bits of the TV broadcast—Atlanta took a two-run lead as we were packing the trunk．After that I became absorbed in glum thoughts about his departure and forgot about the game．Suddenly I heard the door open．“Dad，”he said，“let’s watch the game．They’re only down by a run．”

His red-colored eyes instantly told me that he，too，found this to be difficult and wanted to share one last father-son moment．Without hesitation I led the way to the TV set．There，we found the Cards losing 3—1．“Oh，”he said，“they’re down two runs．”His voice cracked with doubt．“I thought they were coming back．”“That’s fine，”I said，wanting so much to string this moment．“Let’s watch anyway．”

【推荐2】My mother is the most important person in my life and she means the whole world to me. She was a nurse at Stony Brook University Hospital and she always took the night shift so that she could come home in time to drive me to school. She’d sleep during the day and be ready when I returned home before heading out again in the evening. This went on for 23 years. She never complained. No matter how tired she was, she always had enough energy to be my mom.

She often had to work on Christmas, Christmas Eve or New Year’s Eve, and sometimes Thanksgiving, which made me upset. However, before holidays she always decorated the inside and outside of our house. She’d also have cookies baking in the oven, a holiday-themed movie in the VCR, and music playing throughout our house for me. But when it was time to go to work, there was no room for debate. “Why do you have to work on this day of all days?” I’d ask sadly. “They need me, too, dear son,” she’d respond, compassion in her tone.

For a long time I didn’t understand why she should care so much about those sick strangers. Recently, as my grandmother became ill, I found myself spending more time in hospitals. The scenes I saw in the hospital made me see the different side of my mother. The nurses checked heart, blood and oxygen levels, and made sure patients were comfortable. They lifted patients in and out of bed and helped them to the bathroom. Beyond their duties, the nurses displayed consideration for each patient.

What I saw helped me to understand why my mother was devoted to her occupation. I was filled with more admiration for my mother.

This last trip to India with you has brought home to me a few hard facts—facts that I wanted to avoid seeing for some time. As you well know, you and I have had a few arguments and several days of tension during the trip. I must admit sometimes I really do not know how to communicate to you what I really feel. Words seem to fail on both sides. That’s why I am writing this letter. Perhaps it will be a bit easier. ___①___

As I approach my seventeenth year, I suddenly ask myself where I belong. I know this is the usual teenage identity crisis. You came to this country when you were slightly older than I am and married my father. You admired the American lifestyle and tried to be an American as much as you could. I am the daughter of you, a mother who is Indian, and a father who is American. Of course, I am American. Except for a few trips to India I have little to do with India outwardly. But I feel how much you would like me to become Indian sometimes. I cannot explain it with examples. But I feel it in my bones. The India that you never quite shake off comes back to you now and you want to see your daughter live it, at least partly. ___②___ Yes, Mummy, I know I am wrapped up in many superficial things, things my friends indulge in and I can understand your need to protect me. But I am part of them and in order for me to be accepted by my friends, sometimes I need to do things which do not always please me either. I need their approval and I want to be like them sometimes. But your good intentions to teach me those good Indian things then come into disagreement. Although I dislike the superficiality of my friends, I cannot move back to your culture just because it is better for you or more ancient or deep. ___③___

My dearest mother, I cannot be protected by you. Forgive me if I remind you of something you related to me many times. You could not be protected by my grandparents (your parents) when you decided to embrace this culture along with my father. ④ Nor can you protect me despite the fact that we are not separated by physical distance. Perhaps we are separated by something else and I suspect that is India.

I have never written a letter like this before in my short life. I feel good about writing this and would like to hear what you have to say. Ma, perhaps you and I can still be friends in a way that you and your mother could not be. Let’s try. I love you.

Yous,

Rita

【推荐1】Molly Boylan is one of the most successful business women in Canada after setting up her cosmetic (化妆品)company Blazes in 1992.Though she is very successful,she says that she finds it harder every year in balancing her business with her family life.She sometimes feels that her two children know more about their baby-sitter than about her.

Molly employs around eighty people in her factory and warehouse,and ten others in her two new fashion stores,but her newest employee is the most important one for her.After years of worrying about her business more than her family,she has decided to make Sally Pamonte new general manager in her company.Molly will still be involved in decision-making,and she’s going to stay in touch with the people who work for her,but Sally is going to look after day-to-day running of the business so that Molly can spend more time with the kids.

The new arrangement (安排)is going to start on Monday,and both of them are already excited about it.Sally says,“I’m very nervous,actually,but I’m sure Molly will help me a lot in the early days,even though I hope she feels she can trust me not to make too many mistakes.”

Molly,on the other hand,seems quite relaxed about the whole thing.“I know that Sally’s going to be a very nice manager.” she says,“She’s only been here a couple of days and she’s already shown me how to work out a few problems.The best thing though is that I feel a hundred times happier than I’ve been in years.I mean,I honestly can’t remember the last time I felt as relaxed as this,and my kids are really excited about my being at home more.To be honest,I wish I had made this decision years ago.”

【推荐2】One special grandmother is lending 100 years of wisdom to strangers on New York City’s upper West side. Her office attracts many New Yorkers, who wait for a chat with the woman.

Inside the office, you will find a laptop with 100-year-old grandmother Eileen Wilkinson waiting to chat. She may live across the country in Washington State, but thanks to her grandson, Mike Matthews, who is a social professor at New York University, she is now sharing words of wisdom for a chat.

“You can be anything you want, ” Eileen said. “Don’t complain about anything. You can do something about it.”

Over the past three months, hundreds of people have stopped by, chatting with Eileen as if they were old friends. “She completely gets a kick out of meeting New Yorkers because they are so open about their lives, ” said Matthews.

A music student asked for advice on a performance. Others were curious about life in 1917.

One boy said he was already planning his next visit. “She is so wise and energetic,” he said. “And she really doesn't look 100 years old. She looks as if she was in her early late 80s.”

Eileen spent most of her life as a homemaker and mother. She said truly listening gave her advice-giving ability and she was honest.

Eileen hosts online chats and has two accounts of the social media. “It works both ways because I get great joy talking to them, ” she said. Eileen isn't slowing down any time soon, bringing new meaning to the saying, “The road to your grandma’s house is never long.” She said the secret to her long life was living a good life.

【推荐1】Back in the day when I wasn’t sure what I wanted to do with my life, I liked to help others, so I was studying to become a firefighter. My parents always encouraged me at that time. As a firefighter, you’re constantly thinking of other people and trying to help them. It’s the mindset. which is the most difficult part in this job!

One night I was heading home and decided to stop off at a burrito (玉米饼) place. I was approached by a homeless man. He was very dirty and obviously hungry. He asked me for some change to buy a little food. As I was pulling some change out, I had an idea.

I decided to see if he wanted to eat a real dinner, so I asked him to follow me back into the Burrito Joint to order. When he followed me in, the people behind the counter refused to let him in. After some arguing, so I had to encourage him to order whatever and however much he wanted. He ended up ordering enough to fill his stomach at least 3 times over!

For someone who has been on the edges of society it seemed like he was very surprised at my kind behaviour. But to me, it was what any “human being” should do or at least offer. I know we see these people every day asking for money but you had to be there to see the look in his face. To me, it reminded me when I was young and my mum brought out a big birthday cake for me on my birthday, with all the candy, getting to experience a big meal. And I think he felt special, like he was getting attention. Again something that I could see he hadn’t experienced in a long time.

I often think about this story, because to me it’s not just about helping someone out by feeding them, but giving him the respect of being a human being and allowing him to feel good about himself was very rewarding.

【推荐2】When I was growing up, I had an old neighbor named Doctor Gibbs. He didn’t look like any doctor I’d ever known. He never yelled at us for playing in his yard, but was always very kind.

When Doctor Gibbs wasn’t saving lives, he was planting trees. His house sat on ten acres, and his life’s goal was to make it a forest. He had some interesting theories about planting trees. He hardly watered his new trees, which flew in the face of conventional wisdom. Once I asked why and he told me that watering plants spoiled them because it made them grow weaker. He said you had to make things tough for the trees so that only the strongest could survive. He talked about how watering trees made them develop shallow roots and how, if they were not watered, trees would grow deep roots in search of water. So, instead of watering his trees every morning, he’d beat them with a rolled-up newspaper. I asked him why he did that, and he said it was to get the tree’s attention.

Doctor Gibbs died a couple of years after I left home. Every now and then, I walked by his house and looked at the trees that I’d watched him plant some twenty five years ago. They were all tall, big and robust since they have deep roots now.

I planted a couple of trees myself a few years ago. Two years of attending these trees meant they grew up weak. Whenever a cold wind blew, their branches trembled. Adversity(逆境) seemed to benefit Doctor Gibb’s trees in ways comfort and ease never could.

Every night before I go to bed, I check on my two sons. I often pray that their lives will be easy. But lately I’ve been thinking that it’s time to change my prayer. I know my children are going to meet with hardship. There’s always a cold wind blowing somewhere. What we need to do is to pray for deep roots, so when the rains fall and the winds blow, we won’t be torn apart.

【推荐3】When I was about 10, I was walking down the street with my mother. She stopped to speak to Mr Lee. I knew I could see Mr Lee anytime around the neighborhood, so I just stood there. After we passed him, my mother stopped and said something unforgettable, “You let that be the last time you ever walk by somebody you know without opening your mouth to speak, because even a dog can wag its tail when it passes you on the street.” That sentence sounded simple but it made me become who I am.

At work, I used to say hello to the president of the company and ask him how our business was doing. But I also spoke to the people in the cafe and people who cleaned the buildings, and asked them how their children were doing, for every single person deserves to be accepted, no matter how humble (卑微的) they are. I remember that after a few years of passing by the president, I had the courage to ask him for a chat. We had a great talk. At some point, when I asked him how far he thought I could go in his company, he said that if I wanted to, I could get all the way to his seat.

I’ve become vice-president, but that hasn’t changed how I treat people. I speak to people wherever I am. Speaking to people creates a pathway into their world, and it lets them come into mine, too. The day you speak to someone who has his head down and then see him lift it up and smile, you will realize how powerful it is just to open your mouth and say hello.