Last year, I started doing some volunteer work for a charity in my town that helps disabled children. I found out that the charity needed to buy some new wheelchairs, but that they really didn’t have the money. So, I started to think about what I could do to raise money.

When I mentioned this to my friends, they said, “Well, why don’t you run the London Marathon?!” They laughed and so did I — we all know that I’m not an athlete at all. I’d never done any running before. But later, I started to think that it might not be a bad idea.

I approached the charity and discussed the possibility of participating in the marathon on their behalf. They were excited with the idea and agreed to appoint me as their representative. With their support, I purchased the necessary running equipment and began my training journey.

Every night, I laced up my running shoes and hit the sidewalk, determined to build my endurance. After a month of consistent training, I was pleasantly surprised to discover that I could comfortably run nearly five kilometers. However, the reality remained: the marathon covered a challenging distance of 42 kilometers.

With the race only five months away, I intensified my training efforts. I pushed myself to the limits, knowing that completing the marathon was not only a personal achievement but also a means to secure funds for four much-needed wheelchairs. The thought of making a difference in the lives of disabled children motivated me to persevere.

As the race day approached, I filled my mind with determination and excitement. I knew that crossing the finish line would symbolize the end of my hard work and the success of a noble cause. With the support of my friends and the charity, I could run 25 kilometers during my training sessions.

However, when the big day came, I was not at all sure that I was ready.

With every step, I fought against my physical limitations.

What I like about my school

I never thought I had any natural talent when it came to music. Throughout my childhood, the fascinating world of music seemed like an impossible dream for me. I just showed no interest in singing songs or playing an instrument. However, my parents had a different plan for me. They insisted that I learn to play the piano when I was just six years old. Wanting to be a good daughter, I agreed to their wishes, even though deep down, I had no real interest in it. Never did I know that this decision would lead to an unexpected journey of self-discovery.

My piano teacher, Mrs. Johnson, was a kind and observant woman. She had a way of reading her students’ minds and understanding their true feelings. It didn’t take long for her to realize that my heart wasn’t fully absorbed in playing the piano. However, she continued to teach me patiently, hoping to stir a spark (火花) within me.

After about six months of lessons, Mrs. Johnson approached me with an unexpected request. She asked me to perform at the year-end concert she had organized for her students. I was surprised and terrified at the same time. The thought of playing in front of an audience was challenging, considering my lack of passion for the instrument. Nevertheless, I couldn’t refuse my teacher’s request, so I could only agree.

Given my limited experience, I decided to choose a fairly simple composition for the concert. In order to perform well, I practiced the same composition for an hour a day for the next two months, perfecting the notes (音符) and the rhythm. I wanted to ensure that, in spite of my doubts, I would at least be able to give a decent (体面的) performance.

The day of the concert arrived, and I woke up with a mixture of excitement and nervousness.

To my surprise, the music flowed smoothly from my fingertips.

At Piedmont Middle School, a kid could run track or play tennis, but everyone wanted to be on the soccer team. Piedmont and the surrounding towns were pretty small, so instead of having separate girls and boys teams, each school had one team made up of both girls and boys. Laura had dreamed of earning glory for the team Los Halcones ever since the first grade when her older brother Toni won in the county middle school championship. Now he was away at college on a soccer scholarship. The day she joined the team as a sixth-grader, she felt like she could fly.

But, unfortunately, her joy didn’t last. She spent most of the season on the bench.

Walking to the car after the last game of the season, Laura tried to smile at her mother. Having spent yet another game sitting on the bench, Laura hadn’t even broken a sweat. “Well, at least you don’t have to wash my uniform,” she joked, but she could feel tears in her eyes. Her mother said, “You still have chances. Don’t lose heart. Toni once made the same mistake. And now you can watch soccer videos to learn more skills when sitting there.” Laura could only shake her head.

Lying in bed that night, Laura thought back to her first game, the day of her huge mistake.

“Pass, pass, pass!”

“Clear that ball!”

Voices yelled from every side. Laura ran nervously in front of the goal (球门) as both teams rushed down the field. She knew the children in green were her teammates. Those in blue were on the other team. At that time, a boy on the opposing team had the ball when a battle for that ball broke out a few feet from her. Green and blue uniforms swirled (打转) around her, and Laura could barely keep track of the ball. Then, suddenly, it came her way!

“Laura, I’m open!” one of her teammates called from near the sideline. Then Laura kicked the ball.

But the ball went in the completely wrong direction!

Sitting on the bench for game after game, Laura decided to tell Toni that she wanted to quit.

A woman remarried a man from Mexico. She already had a 16-year-old daughter named Bethany, while her husband had a 14-year-old daughter named Maria. Maria and Bethany had been in each other’s lives since they were children. Their relationship as stepsisters was good until recently.

The entire family was busy planning Maria’s Quinceanera (成人礼). The woman’s husband and his ex-wife joined forces to get her a beautiful dress to celebrate the occasion. In total, the dress cost $3,000.

Bethany made it clear that she was jealous (嫉妒的) of the party. Her mom had to make her understand that in Mexican culture, a Quinceanera was a great deal, just like how she had a sweet sixteen party. However, Bethany kept comparing her party to that of Maria’s. It was a massive issue for her, and it reflected in the way she behaved around everyone at home.

Knowing how it made Bethany feel, the mom tried to spend more time with her daughter to assure her that she wasn’t being disregarded. They even got her a lovely dress for the Quinceanera, but much cheaper than Maria’s dress.

Two weeks before the big day, Maria and Bethany got into an argument regarding the TV. Bethany retaliated (报复) against her stepsister by tearing off the back part of her Quinceanera dress. After finding out what Bethany did, everyone was angry. The mom couldn’t believe what her daughter did and quickly gave her husband and his ex-wife money to get a new dress.

The mom told Bethany that she needed to get a job to pay back the total price of the dress. It was her punishment for such an unreasonable act against her stepsister. However, Bethany claimed her mom was unfair by choosing Maria over her. This made the mom question whether she was in the wrong for giving her daughter no choice but to find a job. She wrote about the story online, hoping to get opinions from others on whether what she did was wrong.

To her surprise, she got everybody’s support.

Finally, the mom was determined to teach her 16-year-old a lesson.

When I was a child, I was particular about food. It was Aunt Nelda that changed my habit of being a picky eater.

As far as I could remember, on a Friday night, when Dad and I arrived at Aunt Nelda’s house at dinner time, she prepared a big meal for us. Though the dishes smelled delicious, I didn’t feel like eating some of them. I took several bites of the sandwich and then laid it aside. Dad wanted to kick me under the table to remind me to finish all the food, but drawers (抽屉) between us protected me.

Looking at those drawers, I had a good idea. When Dad got up to refill his soup bowl, I pulled the bottom drawer open. It was full of cloth napkins (布餐巾). I put my sandwich under them and shut the drawer quickly. A plan for my rest food at Aunt Nelda’s emerged.

The next morning, I did the same to the food which I hated to eat. When Aunt Nelda saw my empty bowl, she gave me some sweets and said, “Good job, Jodi. You like my cooking just as much as your father.”

On Sunday, the food under the napkins continued growing, but somehow more slowly. Aunt Nelda was actually a pretty good cook. At noon, her children were coming for lunch. I offered to help set the table.

“Jodi, get the cloth napkins out of the bottom drawer,” she said. My heart began to beat fast. It was not because of the bottom drawer or the cloth napkins, but because of the left food.

“No, let’s use these!” I said, grabbing a handful of paper napkins. Aunt Nelda reached for the drawer. “My children prefer cloth napkins!” she said. I held my breath, waiting for the horrible scene. However, I couldn’t believe that she handed me some neat napkins.

“I’ve already cleaned them up,” she said. “It was so strange that there was much food under the napkins. I hadn’t seen mice for years! Guess what? They were back again. A long time ago, they made a nest and carried the food all over the house.”

Aunt Nelda’s words made me feel relieved but ashamed.

Hearing what I said, Aunt Nelda opened her mouth wide.