【推荐1】With at least a dozen wildfires going through western North Carolina in the fall of 2016, it would take more than one local fire department to fight the flames. In early November, the federal government sent over a team of firefighters from the Interagency Hotshot Crews.

Most of the Hotshots stayed at Hinton Rural Life Center in Hayesville, North Carolina. The center reached out to the media and community groups, hoping to get four volunteers per day to help things run smoothly for their firefighting guests. They didn’t expect a response quite so unbelievable.

Within two days, over 200 people—about a third of the town’s population—reached out to offer help, according to the center’s website. Meals and accommodation were already being taken care of, so they went above and beyond the basic things. Community members donated over 1,000 goods, including sports drinks, snacks, eye drops and so on.

Even the kids in Hayesville participated, sending thank-you cards, pictures and signs to motivate the Hotshots. The team received over 2,000 thank-you notes. After the fires were put out and the firefighters were preparing to go home, the town threw a parade（游行）to thank them and wish them well.

The firefighters were at a loss by the generosity from Hayesville. They put together their own thank-you in a YouTube video.

“You guys don’t know how much you mean, all the support you guys give us, ’’ says Ron, a firefighter from Oregon, in the video. “Out of four years when I’ve been fighting fire, this is about the most hospitable（好客的）state and county I’ve ever been in. And it brings tears to my eyes just thinking about it.”

【推荐2】Jim Denevan is an amazing artist whose work is admired by all, but owned by none — that’s because all of Jim’s art is created on an unusual canvas (画布) — the soft sand. He sometimes spends days working on a piece, only to see it washed away by the sea or a storm and that is just the way he likes it.

Denevan discovered his artistic talents about ten years ago, when he was wandering aimlessly on the beach with a stick. He ended up drawing a 12-foot-long fish. Since then, Jim has traveled over 1,800 miles while creating over 600 pieces of sand art.

Over the years, his drawings have become bigger, but the tools he uses haven’t changed — All he needs is a stick, a garden rake (耙) and most importantly, his lively imagination!

Just like any good artist, Jim is quite particular about the “quality” of his canvas, sometimes walking for miles, in search of perfect sand. His latest piece of work, which is also the world’s largest freelance (自由职业的) drawing, was created in the desert sands of Nevada. It took Jim three trips, eight days and over 100 miles of walking to create this 3-mile work of art. It took the storm just one night to destroy it! However, Jim says he actually enjoys watching the waves or rain wash his paintings away.

Jim’s art has become very popular over the years and was even the topic of a documentary named “Sandman” in 2005. Jim Denevan is not just about art in the sand — he is also an excellent cook and founder of an organization called “Outstanding in the Field”, whose motto (座右铭) is to celebrate food at its source. Accordingly, group dining events are held outdoors on farms, with the diners being treated to a delicious meal. The events, which are held in different farms throughout America, are always sold out the minute the schedule is announced.

【推荐3】I have been watching my daughters play sports since they were four, and have been shocked at how some parents in the crowd behave.

At soccer games, when my girls were very young, parents would be screaming at their children to get their heads into the game, to charge, to “get” an opposing player, or to “kill it.” I understand parents want to encourage their children and their team—but at some point it becomes too much.

My daughter Grace is a high school and AAU (Association of American Universities) basketball player and a very good one at that. During a recent game, a parent sitting near me was shouting loudly to her daughter, standing up, expressing displeasure about the way her team was playing and, during halftime, speaking loudly about her personal life. After having her in my ear for more than half of the game, I was so put off that I had to move.

Admittedly, I am the quiet parent at games. I clap for the schoolgirls when they make wonderful plays. For the most part, however, I remain silent. Shouting out makes them nervous.

I asked Grace to weigh in on this, and she tells me: “Some parents become extremely emotionally invested in sports games, which can become a problem for the players. The worst thing is when people point out that ‘crazy parent,’ and they don’t know that’s your parent.”

I am all for parent spectators cheering on their children and the rest of the team. But I hope you can cheer your children on in a positive way. Shouting things like, “Where’s your head?” “Go after her!” is not, in my view, the way to cheer on high school students or younger children.

If you have nothing positive to say, hold your tongue. If you find yourself struggling to keep it together, get some fresh air during halftime.