1 . On a recent flight from Washington DC to Madrid, Spain, passengers were treated to an unusual and loving pre-flight announcement.

Pilot Cole Doss explained to the passengers a little bit about an extra _______ flight attendant (乘务员) who’d devoted over 45 years of her career to _______ United Airlines’ customers: his mom “She’s been one of my biggest _______ in my career becoming a pilot, ever since my very first flight lesson…To my mom, I love you, and to everyone onboard, welcome aboard our _______ flight.”

It was the first time the 31-year-old had flown his mom’s flight, while she _______ the passengers. While Doss’ mom _______ works on routes to Asia, she managed to _______ her flights to be able to work alongside her son. However, the whole _______ was made all the more special as the two _______ their usual work routine together.

The devoted son described the trip as a career ________ for him. And seeing how he held his mom’s arm up in the air, you can see the ________ pride and love he has for her — something that didn’t go unnoticed by the passengers, who seemed to ________ the moment.

Flying is certainly a ________ among the Doss household, with Cole’s father working in aviation (航空), and his sister currently working for American Airlines. This joint enthusiasm has not only ________ the family in their careers, it’s also given Doss the opportunity to ________ his mother in the most public but meaningful way.

3 . “Are you okay?” My brother Matthew asked from the driver’s seat as we hung upside down, trapped by our seat belts and covered in sand. Off-roading (越野驾驶) on 85,000 acres of dunes (沙丘) in California had become our tradition. I felt the blood rushing to my head, my heart pounding like the loud bass in a car. It reminded me of the four bass-loving brothers who lived across from us growing up. As a little girl, I often wondered if Matthew and I would ever have their friendship.

When Matthew found out he was to have a baby brother, he was over the moon. But to everyone’s surprise, “It’s a girl!” His disappointment was obvious.

As soon as I could walk, my big brother was everything to me, my idol. But to him, I was an annoyance, though he found comfort in tormenting (捉弄) me. Yet, I put up with it, waiting for moments when he’d reach out from his loneliness.

The sibling relationship is unique, and it’s often the longest relationship we have in our entire lives. After learning that I missed him, Matthew unexpectedly invited me to visit him at university.In his room, he handed me a drink. We didn’t need many words; as siblings, we had a simple way of chatting.

He knew about my struggles — the family secrets — and became my rock. When I was excluded from the family Thanksgiving, he refused to attend without me. Instead, we had dinner — just the two of us.

My big brother, once a tormentor, had become my protector and friend. But after our off-roading accident, I saw him differently — vulnerable and unprotected. “Are you okay? Are you bleeding?” I checked his injuries. The man I’d seen as strong was now human, fragile.

As we got ourselves back upright, I realized it was time for me to be his protector. Our shared bond had grown even deeper. I looked at my big brother, and we both smiled. Without him, my life would be unimaginably different. It was my turn to protect him. Thankfully, we had let each other in.

5 . The bonds of female friendship run deep and strong, so are they the new encouraging relationship, or idealized?     1    

In many ways, my close friendships with women are what you’d expect from TV shows like The Golden Girls: emotionally close and involved, fierce and rude. What these shows get right about girl friendship is that our bonds run deep and strong.     2     In those shows, we can see friends whose lives are so deeply mixed that they appear at each other’s doors whenever needed; a ride-or-die girl group who are at your side for life.

    3     This phenomenon is called friendship jealousy, and it’s pretty common. “We feel friendship envy because so much of our confidence is gained from us knowing who we ‘belong’ to,” psychologist Lilly Sabir said. If we don’t have access to the sisterhood we think we’re supposed to as women, we can feel rejected and lonely.     4    

There’s no fixed way for these relationships. You might have a group of girls who meet for lunch once a week, or you might have a few friends who aren’t part of the same group.     5     Maybe you don’t see yourself in either of those situations, but love your friends all the same. All of this is fine—it’s the quality of your connections that counts.

Healthy friendships are about trust and being able to be vulnerable with each other, not to prove you’re living life the right way. There’s nothing quite like having friends who really understand you, so let’s enjoy our mates without overthinking it, shall we?

Growing up, I rarely heard people in my family say, “I love you.” We’re the kind of people made uncomfortable by expressions of love.

Recently, I took my ten-year-old daughter and fourteen-year-old son to visit the great grandma in the nursing home and on the drive there I shared stories about her with the kids. I told them how Great Grandma was bright but grew up in a time and place where women, especially women from rural Tennessee, had few opportunities.

Great Grandma was kind and generous, but I told my kids she could be competitive, too. For instance, when I was a kid, she never let me win at cards.

The Great Grandma I described, the one from my memories, is a stranger to my kids. To them, she’s a small, white-haired woman with dementia (痴呆) who eats only chicken noodle soup and can still kick their butts (屁股) at Scrabble but needs to be reminded of their names and to turn on her hearing aids. We’re all fond of the current version of Great Grandma, but visiting her in a nursing home feels foreign to me. She’s weak and dependent, and I’m surprised at the situation because she’s no longer like the version of her that I know.

On the day of our visit, Great Grandma expected company, so she opened her door as soon as we knocked, greeting us with a big smile, telling us to come in even if she wasn’t certain who we were.

She began our visit by showing us pictures of blankets she gifted to others, and proudly showed us a blanket she was working on now. After that, we took Great Grandma out for a lunch of chicken noodle soup.

At the car my son helped her into the front seat, asking gently, “Are you in?” Then he shut the door and carried her wheelchair to the trunk of the car. When we returned from lunch, perhaps inspired by her brother’s concern, my daughter offered to get Great Grandma’s walker when my son volunteered to help Great Grandma out.

Back in Great Grandma’s room, the kids began to chat with her.

Rain pattered outside, and the low rumble of thunder was felt more than heard. Inside the cozy living room, 10-year-old twins, Jake and Ben, huddled on the couch, browsing through their favorite songs on the tablet.

“Hey Jake, I think we should perform this one,” Ben said, pointing to a classic track they both loved.

Jake hesitated, “I love that song, Ben, but it has high notes. You know I struggle with those.”

Ben smirked, “That’s why we’re a team, right? I’ve got the high notes, and you’ve got those amazing low tones. Together, we’re unbeatable.”

Jake sighed, feeling a pinch of anxiety. The school’s annual singing contest was only a weekaway, and they had decided to participate as a duo (搭档). Both brothers were talented, but while Ben was confident and had an impressive range, Jake often battled stage fright and doubted his abilities.

“Okay, let’s give it a shot,” Jake finally agreed, taking a deep breath.

The following days were filled with rehearsals. After school, they would lock themselves in their bedroom and practice. Their parents would occasionally hear their harmonies, smiles playing on their lips, proud of their determined sons.

However, not every rehearsal went smoothly. There were times Jake would miss a note, and Ben’s high notes would sometimes waver. There were disagreements over pacing, key changes, and even the kind of emotions they should evoke during specific parts of the song.

Yet, what made their bond unbreakable was their unwavering support for each other. When Jake felt nervous about the impending (逼近的) performance, Ben would reassure him. “You have a gift, Jake. Trust in it. And if you ever falter, remember I’m right there with you.”

On the other hand, when Ben struggled with his high notes, Jake was his pillar of strength. “Just relax, take a deep breath, and let it out. We’ve got this, bro.”

Days passed, and the day of the contest arrived. The school auditorium was buzzing with excitement. Families, teachers, and students filled every seat. As Jake and Ben waited backstage, Jake felt his heart racing. The murmur of the audience was deafening, and the weight of the stage lights made everything seem surreal.

“Hey,” Ben whispered, squeezing Jake’s hand, “remember the time we sang in front of our entire family during the reunion? It’s the same, just a slightly larger family.”

Jake chuckled, feeling a bit better. “Yeah, a ‘slightly’ larger one.”

Before they knew it, their names were announced.

Sensing his brother’s unease, Ben subtly squeezed Jake’s hand and continued singing, letting Jake gather himself.