Last Saturday, David was taking a walk in the park near his home when he noticed a woman with a boy of about eight years old. When David passed them, he heard the woman yell. “How stupid you are! You’re good at nothing.” David stopped and looked at the little boy. The boy said nothing. He just stood there, looking upset.

David was reminded of his English teacher Mrs Brown in middle school. After he entered a middle school, David lacked self-confidence because he was often made fun of by others. He was often told that he was good at nothing, which David behaved. But one day it all changed.

One day, in an English writing class, Mrs Brown asked them to read a novel. They were asked to write a new chapter of the novel after they finished reading it. A few days later, David handed in his story. He didn’t give it much thought. But the next day, to his surprise, the comment “well done” from Mrs Brown came into view the moment he turned to the page where the story was written. When David read that, he almost burst into tears. He never expected to be praised one day. He suddenly gained some self-confidence.

That day after he returned home, he wrote a short story and gave it to Mrs Brown the next morning. And again he was praised. David became very interested in writing. He often wrote short stories and asked Mrs Brown to read them improve writing skills. One year later, David joined the school newspaper and became an editor of it. He was no longer that boy who lacked self-confidence. He gained his confidence, and was hopeful about his future.

He succeeded in entering a college and kept writing. Several years after graduating from college, he had his first book published. With some more books coming out, he became famous as a writer in his country. And he owed his success to Mrs Brown’s encouragement. Without her encouragement, his life might be very different now.

Inspired by his own life story, David decided to do something for that boy.

The mother was ashamed when she heard that.

It was in the afternoon before the end of the Second World War that Antonio Black, who was twelve, caught sight of a beautiful brooch (胸针) in a shop window. The brooch is so beautiful that he was unwilling to leave the store until he had purchased it. But it was too expensive — $5. His family was very poor and his parents struggled to make ends meet. Five dollars would buy almost a week’s food for his family.

Antonio couldn’t ask his father for the money. Everything his father made through fishing went to his mother, Susan. Slim and beautiful, his mother was the center of the home and the glue that held it together. The housework was never-ending, and she struggled to feed and clothe their five children, but she was happy as her family and their well-being were all she cared about.

Nevertheless, he opened the shop’s door and went inside. Standing proudly and straight in his flour-sack (面粉袋改做的) shirt and washed-out trousers, he told the shopkeeper what he wanted, adding, “But I don’t have the money right now. Can you please hold it for me for some time?”

“I’ll try,” the shopkeeper smiled. “People around here don’t usually have that kind of money to spend on things. It should keep for a while.”

Antonio respectfully touched his worn cap and walked out. He would raise the money and not tell anybody, for he thought Mum would be surprised when she saw that brooch. On hearing the sound of hammering (锤打) from a side street, Antonio suddenly had an idea that he could raise money by selling the used nail bags. People built their own homes in Bay Roberts, using nails bought in bags from a local factory. Sometimes the used bags were thrown away at the construction site, and Antonio knew he could sell them back to the factory for five cents a piece. That day he sold two nail bags and hid the money in a rusty soda tin.

Every day after school, Antonio started his plan.

The day finally came!

Losing a parent is one of the most painful parts of life. No matter how old we are when our parents leave us, it can be a heartbroken experience. Our memories are all that are left of them and happy reminders of their love turn into our most valuable treasures. That’s how Mara Soriano feels about the teddy bear that she tragically (不幸地) lost during her recent move to a new apartment.

Diagnosed (诊断) with cancer, Mara Soriano’s mother, Marilyn, gave her daughter the bear as a gift. After her mother’s death last June, the gift became even more special. “That bear was basically the last reminder of my mom. It was her voice that accompanied me,” she said in an interview.

The toy didn’t cost a lot, but it contained a recording of her mother’s voice telling her that she loved her so much and was proud of her. The bear, called Mama Bear, was in the backpack that contained electronics like an iPad. When the bag was lost last week during the move, the 28-year-old was heartbroken—not for the devices (设备), but for Mama Bear.

Mara posted a photo of her and her Mama Bear on the Internet, explaining the importance of the bear. Millions of netizens were touched by the story. More and more people were talking about the bear, but there was no good news for Mara. So again and again she posted online about the item and the story behind it, hoping it could catch more viewers’ attention in a big way.

Actor Ryan Reynolds was moved by Mara’s story and then posted an appeal for Mama Bear’s safe return. “I think we all need this bear to come home,” he wrote. Along with the message, he also offered a reward for the people who found the bear.

One day, here came a piece of good news from the Internet.

Three days later, Mara received Mama Bear, together with a card from the woman who sent the bear back.

With a wide smile on her face, 15-year-old Sirin eagerly rushed to her mom to show off her new painting. But Mom raised her eyebrows with eyes wide open, and spoke impatiently, “No time, baby. Right now I am busy with an important talk. Just wait for some time, OK?”

Holding her oil painting, she frowned (皱眉),and then searched for her dad. “Dad, see what I have done,” Sirin exclaimed cheerfully. Her dad turned around while adjusting his tie, grinned at her, and showed his thumbs up!

Immediately, Sirin replied angrily, “Dad, you haven’t seen it yet.”

He smiled at her saying, “No time, baby. I will see it later.” He just patted her back lovingly, kissed her forehead, and rushed for his office.

She was not a kid to be pleased with simple gesture or smile. She stood there for a few seconds, and then stormed off to her own bedroom. Hot air was blowing from her nostrils (鼻孔) ; her face turned into apple red. She threw the painting on the table, slammed the door and threw herself on her bed.

“Why is everybody so busy?” She recalled thousands of incidents that hurt her in preschool, middle school and even in high school too! She assumed at least her own family members would give some values to her thoughts, but they were no exception. Unconsciously, her eyes were filled with tears.

The knocking sound on the door put a sudden stop to her thought. Her mom was calling her for dinner. Sirin deliberately (故意地) came late to join them. She kept silent and didn’t look at anyone, scratching the table mat with her nail. Her mom was puzzled at the unusual behavior. Suddenly the morning incident came to mind. Softly, she asked, “ Honey, did I do anything wrong? ”

At this very moment, Sirin could no longer resist her anger.

When back from school the next day, Sirin was surprised to see her beautifully-decorated paining on the wall.

For most people, having property stolen feels like a violation (违背) Robbie Pruitt admits when his mountain bike was stolen last September, he got mad, but soon enough, his emotions took a turn. After letting go of his anger and disappointment, he found himself on a road to sympathy instead.

As a crazy biker, Pruitt’s first priority was to replace his ride, but when he went bike shopping, he found the pickings had much reduced, which got him thinking: What if the person had done so because he truly needed transportation to get to work?

With that thought in mind, Pruitt came up with a plan and posted it to a local online group. Pruitt offered to fix bikes free of charge for anyone who needed it. He also put out a call for unwanted bikes, which he would repair — again for free — and then donate to people who could truly use them but didn’t have the budget to buy a bike.

The day the post went live, Pruitt ended up with a donation of 30 used bicycles. Then it was followed by more than 500 enquiries from people who either had bikes to donate or that needed fixing soon after. By the end of 2020, Pruitt had refurbished (翻新) more than 140 for donation or to be returned to their owners at about a 60% to 40% ratio.

Pruitt doesn’t check requests, but he does try to give away his donations to families that are truly struggling. The journey he’s taken has also moved beyond simply being a way to satisfy a material need to become an opportunity to show kids in his neighborhood the nuts and bolts of fixing their own bikes.

In addition to practical skills, Pruitt’s lessons teach resilience and teamwork, encourage self-respect, and develop feelings of community. Indeed, building up friendships is one of the biggest benefits of Pruitt’s avocation (副业).

Some parents appreciated Pruitt for his selfless devotion.

Pruitt has a plan for his avocation.