1 . My father was attached to gardening by birth. One of my earliest memories is following Dad barefoot around in the garden with both hands blackened from digging (挖) in the soil. The garden is a wonderland full of possibilities.

As Dad grew older, he still loved gardening. Even when he was diagnosed with cancer, he still planted all sorts of plants. Sometimes, I would come over to visit. and we would walk together in the garden. But then something changed. Like the weeds that took over his garden, the cancer grew rapidly in Dad. I stayed with Dad twenty-four hours a day and I found myself in all kinds of uncomfortable situations with Dad until I promised to look after the garden.

Though I had heard the words of the doctor, what really made me believe that Dad was dying was the state of his garden. That year, he only planted tomatoes. Too tired to weed them, he just tied them with strong strings (绳子) to the fence and let them be. It made me sad to see them ignored, so I would come over and water them once in a while, and remove the weeds. I still remember the day I picked the last tomato from the vine (藤). That day was one of the saddest I had ever experienced in my life.

Three years ago, I decided to plant my own garden. I decided I would start out with a few tomatoes. That morning when I moved to the garden, something caught the corner of my eyes and I had to smile. It was my eight-year-old son Nathan, standing barefoot in the soil, happily playing in the soil.

Charlie was a little boy of ten. He was such a good boy that everyone loved him a lot. Due to his father’s job, his family shifted to a new city, where he was admitted into a new school. As Charlie was a good boy, most of his new classmates became his good friends soon. The teachers also praised Charlie for his intelligence and good behavior.

But there was one boy in the class who did not like Charlie at all! His name was Bill and he was a very naughty boy, so no one liked him at all. He found that Charlie was a quiet boy, so he started making trouble for his new classmate. But Charlie still kept quiet and did not complain to the class teacher. When Charlie’s parents learned about Bill, they wanted to go to school and complain about this naughty boy’s behavior. But Charlie stopped them and said, “Mom, Dad, please do not worry. Everything will be all right.”

Days went by and the time came for the annual sports meeting at the school. Charlie was also good at sports and he was participating in a number of events. Bill was participating in the sack race (套袋跑), though he could not run very fast due to his fat body. When Bill saw that Charlie won first prize in the 100-meter race, he felt very jealous (妒忌的) and decided that he would not let it happen in the sack race.

As planned, Bill tried to push Charlie while jumping on the track during the sack race. But he lost his balance and fell down! His leg was badly injured and he could not even stand up by himself. But as he was unpopular among his friends, no one turned up to help him!

Charlie noticed what had happened.

Charlie took Bill to the school doctor.

Adam lived with his parents in one city while his grandparents lived far away in another city. Adam’s parents usually took their son to his grandparents’ house during summer holiday every year and stayed there for around 20 days. Adam’s grandfather loved him very much and spent a lot of time playing with him. His grandmother always cooked delicious food for him. Adam loved his stay there. This continued for years. The boy grew up over time.

One day Adam said to his parents, “Now, I am old enough to go to grandparents’ house alone. So, please let me go by myself.”

His parents didn’t agree at first but Adam insisted(坚持). They finally agreed. But they were worried about his safety. So, they taught him everything he needed to know to travel alone.

The day came when Adam was to leave for his grandparents’ house. And his parents came to see him off at the train station. When the boy was comfortably seated on the train, his parents got off and waited for the train to leave.

While waiting, the father went to the window and kept talking to his son. He handed his son an envelope(信封) from the window and said, “Son, if you feel afraid on the way, open this and read it. It will help you to calm down.”

The boy kept that envelope in his pocket carefully and said goodbye to his parents. When the train was ready to leave, the boy smiled and told his father, “I remember everything. Don’t worry.”

At every station where the train stopped, people kept coming and going. The boy started feeling a little lonely.

At one station, a big man with cuts on his face got on the train.

Then he remembered his father’s letter.

8 . The men of influence in our lives are our fathers, brothers, grandfathers, uncles, and friends and they play an important role in our lives. They lead by example, teaching us how to move physically through our world, how to be strong in the face of adversity, how to be wise, and how to provide for ourselves and our families.

My dad taught me how to have natural fun, playing baseball in the middle of the street, in his stocking feet. Today my dad continues to influence me in positive ways. He has faced a challenging health problem over the past few months and has carried on with his life in much the same way as he did before his illness, going about his daily business a bit slower and needing to take more rests but still living his life the way he wishes to.

My grandfather taught me the value of being trusted. My father-in-law influenced my life in a different way. He was quiet, loving and a man of power. When he spoke, I listened, as he did not speak unless he had something to say.

My loving husband has encouraged me to be strong and independent, to think for myself, and not to look to him for permission. My husband has also taught me to adapt with him to the ever-changing reality of his journey with illness, and he has met each one with courage and dignity. I have learned much from the men who have had an influence on my life. For all that I have learned and for the role they played and continue to play in my life I am forever thankful.

I’m so glad to hear from you.

Yours truly,

Li Hua