1 . It is often said that the best teachers are those who are able to form a sincere relationship with their students. This was never a problem for my second-grade teacher, as she viewed all of her students as family. Of course. in my case, it was actually true, because my second-grade teacher was my mother.

I won’t lie and say the year was easy. At times, there were difficulties starting the school day as teacher and student when there had been an issue at home as mother and son. The same can be said for after school when my mother just happened to know every little thing that happened during the school day.

My mother decided to move me up to the third-grade reading class. I used to joke that it was simply because she wanted me out of her classroom for part of the day, but I knew better. She had too much respect for education to do such a thing.

Even as she was ill and had a long stay in hospital, my mother, the teacher, still made me check in to see how her students were doing as the school year wrapped up. She also continued to press me about my future writing projects to make sure that I never gave up on my dreams, as well as checking that the plots all made sense.

I know that some people might refuse the idea of having their mother as a teacher as I did at first, but looking back, I can tell you I am grateful for that opportunity. While telling time and counting change are important lessons, they pale in comparison to the lessons Mom taught me about faith, love, and family. Those lessons are at the core of who she was and are cornerstones (基石) of my beliefs because of her. She was my favorite and best teacher.

A video of a young boy waving to ask his dad for one extra hug before he drives off to work is capturing the hearts of social media users online.

Tyler Lobdell shared a 31-second clip on his TikTok page, which now has over 1.5 million views. Lobdell, a father of two, told Good Morning America he had the idea to check his doorbell camera recently when he came across the special moment and couldn’t resist watching it over and over.

“I watched it 150 times before I posted it because I’m just watching it and its making me emotional watching it and I just wanted people to feel what I felt watching it.” Lobdell said of his motivation to share the video of him and his son Isaiah.

Lobdell said even though he often showers his sons, Hudson and Isaiah, with hugs and kisses, the boys, who are now 6 and 8, still like to stop him before he leaves for work and occasionally request one more hug from him.

“They’ll catch me in the garage or come out, like Isaiah did that morning, and they’ll stop me for an extra hug,” Lobdell, an ironworker in Constantia, New York, explained. “They just do it randomly from time to time and I just love that they do that.”

“I always try to make sure that I’m reciprocating that love that they’re trying to show me,” he continued. “It’s a rough world out there and I don’t ever want my kids to ever feel that they can’t show me love or feel in any way that they’re not totally and completely loved by their parents.”

Lobdell said he encourages other parents to “be as present as possible” with their kids and take the opportunity to spend time with them because “time flies by so fast”. As for his young sons, Lobdell added that he wants them to know that no matter what they do, he’ll always support them and he’ll always be proud of them.

4 . That day was Nancy’s 30th birthday and she was alone at home. She was standing by the living room window, with her eyes filled with _________. She was sure her sister would _________ her like she always did.

Looking out from the window, Nancy _________ her journey. All these years, she took up different _________, from a factory worker, a waitress to a hotel clerk. Her only goal was to _________ Kate, her younger sister. To her relief, Kate was a(n) _________ student, always doing well at school. For Nancy, Kate _________ much to her. She was her dream and happiness.

As lost in thought, Nancy was _________ by footsteps approaching her room. Her eyes lit up right away. She rushed to the door and sniffed (嗅) the air to catch the _________ smell of the chocolate cake. However, unlike usual, Kate arrived, __________ this time. No cake; no beautiful gift box. Nancy’s __________ disappeared. Kate gave Nancy a big hug and said, “Happy birthday!” “Thank you,” Nancy just replied __________. And then Kate took an envelope from her pocket and said, “Here is your birthday gift.” Looking at Kate questioningly, Nancy __________ it. Inside was a(n) __________ letter. Kate continued, “I signed you up for the community college with the money I earned through part-time work. I want you to __________ from where you left.”

Nancy hugged Kate tightly, crying with joy. She finally got the best ever birthday gift.

8 . Monique Marshall knew she had to do something for her mother after her stepfather passed away. Monique’s mother, Karin, who is 84 years old, was living in her apartment in New York City ________, about 2,500 miles away from Monique in Los Angeles.

Monique ________ she had to do something for her mother. ________, Monique’s husband, Demille, was all on board, willing to do anything to ________ Karin in her advanced age. That’s when Monique and Demille brainstormed with their friends and neighbors, Pierre and Carmen, who happened to be ________.

After much thought and planning, they ________ a solution of a “glam garage (豪华车库)”. Monique and Demille decided to turn their old and drafty ________ into an apartment space for Karin. But as is always the case with any construction project, they encountered ________. However, it was nothing too big that kept them from completing the ________. And the results are ________!

Karin is in love with her new living space and new city. When Karin first ________ into her glam garage apartment in Los Angeles, she couldn’t ________ her eyes.

“It was overwhelming,” said Karin. “I was so ________. Monique had done all the furniture. I didn’t have to do anything.”

What a wonderful and ________ solution that came about because of love, care and ________.

10 . In 1992, Jeff Balch’s mom died of cancer, at the age of 60. She _________ on a weekend, and that Monday was rubbish pick-up day.

Balch was at his mom’s home, doing some yard work, when the young man who worked as their _________ collector came up the driveway. The man _________ and said, “Hey, how’s Ms. Balch doing?”

Balch took a _________. He hadn’t yet told a stranger about his mom. And he said, “Well, she was very sick, and I’m afraid she died a couple of days ago.” On hearing this, the man felt very _________, He stammered (结结巴巴地说), “I’m so sorry.” And he _________ his eyes and hurried away.

Balch remembers looking down as well, his eyes filled with tears. When he looked up, he saw that the man was _________ by two other rubbish collectors, and now they were walking towards him, across the _________.

The oldest man in the group said, “We just want you to know your mom was the _________ person. She always brought us water to drink when we were working and __________ us in need.”

Today, Balch sometimes __________ of those three men, who went out of their way to say something kind about his mom. Balch says he can’t be __________ like his mom as he talks to rubbish collectors. But he does try to treat them the way the __________ treated him and he will pass on his mother’s __________. “It’s all about realizing the humanity (仁慈) in everyone we’re dealing with,” Balch said. “And that was the rubbish collectors’ __________ to me, which was to humanize (使人性化) at that moment.”