2 . My grandma passed away last week. My mum began the painful yet necessary task of sorting through her belongings.

“Is there anything you want from grandma’s flat?” Mum texted me.

“Her aloe (芦荟), please.” I required zero thinking time.

Sometime around 1975, Grandma, always believing good things would happen in the future, received this plant as a gift, which she appreciated and placed in her doorway. It came from the local butcher. Five years later, my mum married the butcher’s son and had me. Grandma revealed to me this particular plant was a living relationship between the two families. And so was I.

Recently, whenever we visited Grandma’s flat, I attempted to fix this concept in my children’s minds. “That was a gift your great-grandma bought your other great-grandma! It’s older than me!” Then my kids would nod and ask Grandma for a sweet.

Numerous times, Grandma gave me cuttings or clippings of the plant, hoping I might raise my own and continue the legend. Yet, every time, my new branch died with my awful gardening skills. But that didn’t used to matter, because I could turn to Grandma, who would wait and accept my disturbance without becoming upset. Then I got another clipping and tried again. But now I can’t. So, I decided that the plant will go and live with Ann, my mother-in-law, who is a genius with a greenhouse.

The plan is for Ann to keep hold of the original plant. In time, she can teach me how to deal with its cuttings properly, and then maybe one day I can settle the plant in my place.

In the meantime, Ann will allocate (分配) clippings among my relatives, as Grandma used to do. My wife’s two sisters, for example, are both better at tending plants than I am, so it is quite imaginable they, too, will offer cuttings of the plant to their partners, spreading this loving plant across my entire extended family.

Finding the Real Me

I had thought losing my job was the worst thing that had ever happened to me. But it turned out to be a blessing in disguise. Losing my job was not the end of who I was but literally the beginning of discovering the real me.

It started out as one of the best days of my life, and certainly, of my career. My staff and I had been named the number one unit in our company, and I was taking them out for a celebratory lunch. Lunch was fun, the food was excellent, and the friendly atmosphere at the table made me smile. The weather was crisp, cool and sunny. I thought to myself “It just doesn’t get any better than this.” It was a perfect day!

Then came the teleconference at two o’clock as usual.

“Er, if you... if you are willing to move?” stuttered our associate director, voice trembling, “and if you cannot move, you will be given a severance package (遣散费), and ...”

How could this be happening? I felt numb, my world slowly coming to an end. My husband and family comforted me, but I was scared. Financially, I knew we would be okay. But I had worked full-time my whole life and it had become my identity — who I was and how I defined myself. I was a leader, and I felt, a good one. What would I be with that taken from me?

After sitting around feeling sorry for myself, I just casually turned on the television. A program caught my attention — a group of volunteers were helping children and hungry people all over the world. It struck me! I felt guilty knowing that even though I had lost my job, we had plenty of good, healthy food on the table every night. The words spoken by a volunteer seemed directed specifically at me — The best way to be blessed and to forget about your own problem is to help someone else. Ashamed, I realized that I had been abandoned to self-pity when I had so much to be thankful for and to do — a loving husband, beautiful children, and family and friends who needed me.

Paragraph 1: I decided to cook a great meal for my family that night.

Paragraph 2: The next morning, I announced to my family that I was going to start a cooking school for them.

In the spring sun, my aunt and I headed for her flower shop. Normally I would be delighted to help in her shop, but not recently because of Rosa. Rosa was my sister, just one month old, who was settled in my old bedroom. For ten years, the small room was full of my toys and books. But now it was transformed into her baby room, decorated like a garden with pinks and yellows. My space, my old life, was gone.

“Here we are!” We arrived at the shop, a wave of colour and sweet smell washing over me. My aunt said I could pick some flowers for Mum and Dad. I used to love this, but today I was so overcome with tiredness and envy. Why bother to bring them flowers when they were enjoying Rosa at home without me?

Silently I helped my aunt arrange flowers. “Your mum told me there hasn’t been much shut eye recently for any of you.” “Not much, since Rosa the alarm clock was installed (安装).” I complained with a huge yawn (哈欠).

“I remember having to creep (蹑手蹑脚地走) around like a worn-out mouse when your mum was a baby. I spent the first months hating her so much.” “But you and Mum seem so close,” I said, guiltily hiding away my envy of Rosa.

“Now we are. But it took me years to grow into the role of big sister. Few flowers blossom (绽放) overnight, you know.” She pulled me in for aside hug, glancing up at the clock, and suggested I take a walk outside.

Behind her shop was a field dotted with spring flowers. Stepping into the field, I began to pick little flowers. It was like gathering my childhood memories. I remembered how I’d sit with Dad, making flower chains, crowning (授予) each other with the silliest titles: Queen of Junk Food and King of Mess. My smile grew wider. The shining yellow flowers reminded me of the color in Rosa’s baby room. Was she awake? I wondered.

Suddenly I saw two familiar figures walking towards me.

Rosa was wide awake in her baby basket beside the picnic blanket.

Missy was absolutely my best friend in the whole world. We had known each other since first grade, and we literally did everything together. We frequently visited each other’s homes, we knew each other’s families like they were our own. The interesting thing about our relationship, however the fact was that the older we got, the more our values seemed to differ. We still enjoyed a lot of the same things, but I was a bit more settled while she loved being associated with popular people and things. Although she was basically a good person, she had no problem with forcing things to go her way.

Perhaps this is why it seemed that her family actually trusted me more than they trusted her. So, on the day when Missy showed up at my house with a huge dent (凹痕) in her father’s car, I knew that we were in for a troublesome time.

She had banged the car into a tree while out that day, and she knew her father was going to have an explanation. So she stopped by my house in order to make up a story that would lessen her father’s rage. Missy decided to tell him that while in a parking lot, someone must have backed into the car and dented it. Looking at the dent with some crashed leaves and bark still sticking there, I attempted to perish (打消) her thought. “I don’t think your father will buy it.” “ Don’t worry,” she insisted,“even if my dad doesn’t trust me, he’ll trust you.” My role was to confirm for her. Now keep in mind that I had strong objections to lying and I wanted absolutely nothing to do with the situation. I loved her parents just like my own, and I did not want to be a party to this lie that Missy was creating. Nevertheless, after much request and a general questioning of my loyalty to our friendship, I decided that the least I could do was to act as a silent witness. That way, I wasn’t actually lying; I just wasn’t telling the full truth.

“Is this allIgot?” asked my daughter, Allison. “I asked for a new cellphone!”

“What kind of birthday is this?” asked my son, Blake.

Blake and Allison are twins. Every year, I gave them birthday presents. But they always felt unhappy about not receiving something on their wish list.

I knew I had somewhat spoiled(宠坏)them, but I had no idea it was this bad . I was in shock. How self-centered and unappreciative could my children be?

I was determined to do something.

I found a family living on a farm that badly needed help. There were four children in the family aged from three to eight. I began to visit them every two months.

Soon, Allison and Blake’s birthday was drawing near. I decided to introduce them to the new friends. One day, I woke the kids early and drove them to the farm.

When we arrived, I told my children to take two bags off the car, of which one was filled with food and the other with many boxes full of presents my children would never be satisfied with.

We were welcomed inside with smiles and appreciation. Obviously, Alison and Blake were shocked by what they saw. I could guess they had never expected people would live such a difficult life.

“Look! Presents for you. ”Allison was trying to make the kids happier.

With their parents’ permission(允许), the kids began to pick the boxes up, shake them, and guess what was inside. They were so excited. Allison and Blake encouraged the kids to open the boxes. They did. And there were shouts of surprise and joy: a model car, chocolate …then laughter. Then grateful hugs(拥抱)and sincere “thank-yous” .

At first Alison and Blake looked confused but soon joined the children. Before long, they were laughing, too, proud that they brought happiness there.

On the way home, Alison and Blake were a little quiet. When it was time to go to bed that day, my kids hugged me and said, “Thank you, Mum. ”

The next year, with their birthday nearing, I asked Alison and Blake what presents they wanted.                            

I agreed and offered to drive them to the farm.               

Zaki was small for his twelve years, and he hated being treated as a child. Farid, his older brother, had been looked upon as a man long before he was Zaki’s age. Now, every day as the sun warmed the gulf, Farid and the other young men went out in their wooden boats, to dive for oysters. With luck, there would be pearls in many of them. Each pearl earned a bonus for the man who found it.

Many times Zaki begged to go along, but Farid always refused.

“You?” Farid would laugh. “First, small one, you have to become larger than the oyster!” Still laughing, Farid would go his manly way, leaving Zaki bitter and angry.

So every day Zaki would go to the shallow water to practice. His grandfather, a former diver, would watch him and advise him. All morning, Zaki would practice diving beneath the waves. Every afternoon, he would again go underwater and hold his breath. With daily practice, his diving improved gradually. Soon Zaki felt as much at home in the water as he did out of it.

Zaki decided to challenge Farid the next day. He rose early the next morning. Even so, he had to hurry to catch up with Farid, who was already on the beach.

“Farid, wait!” called Zaki. “I must speak to you.”

In the stillness of the morning his voice carried clearly. The group of men around Farid grew quiet as Zaki spoke.

“Farid, I say that I can hold my breath under the water as long as you can. If I win, I ask only that you treat me as a man and let me dive by your side.” The men of the village burst out laughing.

Farid looked amused. “And what happens, young brother, when you lose?”

Looked down upon, Zaki shouted, “I will not lose! Let us go into the gulf to compete. The men of the village are here to judge.”

Farid looked surprised, but with all of his friends looking on, he had little choice but to agree.

Zaki and Farid went out into the sea until it was deep enough for them to dive.

Looking into Farid’s eyes, Zaki suddenly understood what losing might mean to his brother.