Most people think that procrastination (拖延症) is a negative habit. But people like me who routinely put off doing assignments, are likely to defend our “slower” approach to getting tasks done.

I'm the only procrastination in my family. My parents and sister were all born with the “do it right now” gift. They are always in a rush, as if closely rushed by an invisible deadline. Personally, I prefer a more relaxed pace. When my parents voiced their concern about my tendencies, saying “Don’t put off until tomorrow what you can do today,” “No way!” I responded, confidently presenting my research as a defense. It said people procrastinated when they need to solve a problem or commit to a topic or project. In these cases, delaying a decision can be beneficial. This was because our minds continue to reflect on problems even when we were not actively thinking about them, which could lead to more creative solutions. My findings filled me with satisfaction and pride. My method of getting things done was just as good as my sister’s…or so I thought.

At school we’d been talking about architecture and design. As part of the final assessment my teacher Mr. Smith announced an exciting project that each student would have a month to complete. We were expected to choose our materials, construct a small building and make use of things we had learned in class. Not only would the winners receive extra credit, but the winning constructions would be proudly displayed in the cafeteria. “I have no clue how I could get it done,” my friend Nate sighed in despair. I didn’t say anything. Not because I shared his anxiety-but because I was not nervous at all. I loved hands-on projects! Picturing my brilliant work exhibited in the cafeteria, I was fully convinced that I would definitely produce something that could impress everyone. So relaxed was I that I didn’t give it a second thought for weeks.

Before I knew it, I had only one day left for the project.

That taught me a great lesson.

I pulled my exhausted (精疲力竭的) body off the bed and headed out the door. Put one foot in front of the other. That is all you have to do, I told myself. I was determined (决定) to make myself walk every hour for five minutes, regardless of how terrible I felt — it would help me feel better.

My husband and I had been told by my doctor, Tiffany, that my coping strategies needed to change to effectively manage my fatigue (极度劳累). Walking was a key part of my hoped-for change. Cancer had taken so much from me, and it was time to start working my way back. With that goal in mind, I set out into my yard and began walking.

At our second meeting, Tiffany helped us set long-term goals. One of my goals was a day at a theme park, walking instead of using a wheelchair. After our meeting, I carried on with my step challenge. As the weeks progressed, I began meeting other program goals, but I still had the theme park to conquer. It frightened me to risk a whole day on my feet.

The day finally came, and we went to SeaWorld. As we walked into the park, the sun was shining. Over the speakers, Rachel Platten’s “Fight Song” played. “This is my fight song, take back my life song ...” she sang. Tears glistened (闪光) on my face, and my husband looked at me with concern. Our teenage daughter saw the worry in his eyes and looked at me. When we shared a knowing smile, my daughter said, “Don’t worry, Dad. That’s Mom’s song.”

In the early days of this cancer journey, she had left something at home after leaving for school and had found me balled up in bed, crying from the pain, with “Fight Song” on repeat. I told her it was my “fight song” and I would be fine finally. She gave me a hug before returning to her father’s waiting truck. Clearly, she hadn’t told him about that.

I walked from show to show that day.

My body cooperated (配合) on some days and let me down on others, but I kept walking.

Beautiful Birthmarks: The Power of Acceptance

Whenever you hear the word “birthmark (胎记)”, you probably think of one of those black or brown spots you have somewhere on your body. However, for me, it’s completely different — I have them both on my lips and inside my mouth, which make them quite visible and, to me, ugly. When

I was young, these birthmarks kept making me feel extremely awkward and self-conscious (难为情的). As these birthmarks always drew a lot of attention, people often asked me, “What are those black marks on your lips?” When I told people that they were birthmarks, they usually said, “How strange！”

In pictures, I used to hide my birthmarks by pursing (噘起) my lips, so I would not have to deal with people’s questions. As I was growing up, the situation didn’t get any better. In the school, my classmates would always tease me, making me feel hurt and helpless. In society, I often encountered individuals who would inquire about my birthmarks even before they knew my name.

Such experiences left me feeling disheartened. I felt like people judged me by my appearance without considering my personality.

My birthmarks are caused by a genetic condition from my mom’s side of the family. My mom’s mom has birthmarks on her lips, and my mom’s uncle and my uncle have some on their bodies. I used to try to cover them up with makeup, but it never looked good. I even consulted a doctor, wanting to have surgery to remove them. But when imagining the process, I would get nervous and eventually give up.

Whenever I cried to my mom about them, she would always comfort me and say, “Learn to accept them and see them as beautiful birthmarks.” However, it wasn’t easy for me to accept my own birthmarks. Every time I showed my birthmarks, people would look at me with strange eyes. I began to regret why I had given up on the surgery and chosen to accept my birthmarks.

One day, I met my cousin, who also had a large birthmark on his arm._

From then on, when I met people, I began to change myself.

In an art class my friend Mareya and I took, we had to look at art made by lots of different artists and then try creating our own. We made pencil drawings and paintings using only small dots of paint.

For our very last task, our teacher asked us to paint a portrait of a friend or family member. Mareya and I looked at each other and nodded. We both had the same idea.

“You’ll each get one of these art sets,” said Ms. Williams. “Every set contains a small canvas (画布), some tempera paints (蛋彩画颜料), and two foam brushes (泡沫刷). You can paint in any style you choose.”Mareya and I put our sets into our art bags. Then we headed over to her house.

And then our friend Jasmine stopped us. “I was so excited to tell you my amazing news. My family just got the cutest dog named Ginger, and if you want to come over, you can meet her!” Jasmine's house is only a couple of blocks from Mareya’s, so after checking in with Mareya’s mom, of course we had to go. Ginger was the cutest dog imaginable. “Whenever she’s not running around, she’s sound asleep in dreamland,” said Jasmine. She led the way to the kitchen. “Do you have time for a snack?” “Sure!” we said.

After we ate some cookies at the kitchen table, Mareya and I stood up to leave. But when we went to pick up our art bags by the front door, we found a big surprise! Mareya pointed at our torn-open art sets. “Something tells me Ginger might not have been sleeping this whole time.” “Oh no!” I said. “Our foam brushes are now foam shreds (碎片)!” “Bad Ginger!” Jasmine shouted. “It’s OK,” said Mareya. “She’s way too little to know any better.”

On the walk to Mareya’s house, I said, “I hope Ms. Williams will understand why we couldn’t do our portrait task.”

We ended up having a great time making our portraits with our fingers.

On the walk home from school, my friend, Cherry, happily said, “Tomorrow is Mother’s Day. I’ve been saving up for the past month and plan to buy my mother the perfume (香水) she’s been wanting for so long.” Her excitement made me realize that I hadn’t prepared anything special yet. But I only had a little money left. I began to regret spending so much on snacks every day. “See you next week!” Cherry’s voice pulled me back to reality. We waved goodbye as she went into a perfume shop.

I continued walking along the road, carefully thinking about what gift I should choose. I planned to buy something like flowers or chocolate, but now it seemed like those were way too simple. Therefore, I pushed open the door to a mall (商场) and tried to find the perfect gift. The bright lights illuminated (照亮) the collection of various goods. I picked up a lipstick (口红) but immediately (立即) put it back after seeing its price. I could never afford that! Then I walked into another shop and saw a lovely cup. This cup, besides being beautiful, would also remind my mother to drink water. It’d be a wonderful gift. I picked it up and turned it over to see the price listed, hoping it was not too expensive. But once again, I couldn’t afford it even with all the money that I had. Feeling sad, I continued to wander around the shops. Time flew by quickly, and before I knew it, the sky began to darken, so I had to go home.

Since there was no time or money for me to pick out a gift, I decided to make a simple card. When I finished, the clock on my bedroom wall struck 11 p.m. I held up the card, examining its hardcover, handwritten letters, and the tiny pictures I’d drawn of my mom and me. It’s probably never going to compare to the expensive gifts that my friends bought for their mothers, I thought sadly.