4 . While standing in an airport security line recently, I got to witness first-hand what being the parent of a young adult really means.

A young woman of college age was in the line before me with her____loaded heavily. She was talking to her father who was standing a few feet away. “Dad, I____I'll call as soon as I get to Rome,” she said. He nodded nervously, and like any dad about to send their little girl across the ocean, ____wanted reassurance. “OK,” he said. And rocking backwards and forwards anxiously he continued, “But don't____! And your phone should work as soon as you____,but if it doesn't...”

Before he could finish, she____, “Dad, it will work! And if it doesn't, I'll call you with Laura's phone. I'll be____!”

He____agreeably, and I knew that when he looked at her, he didn't see a____woman about to start a great adventure. He saw a little girl taking her first nervous____on the school bus. It was time to be just as brave with this____as it was when she started school.

“Well, Dad. I'm off!” she____proudly as she loaded her belongings onto the X-ray belt. Then she walked to____them from the other side. And she____looked back at her dad again. However, I did. There he stood with____eyes. “Be brave," he must have been telling himself, as his____bank replaced his grown daughter with his little girl for a few more seconds. Then he____and walked away.

I____that young lady to her gate, and then watched her____a seat and wait for her plane to Rome. What a lucky young woman to have such a____father!

5 . It is obvious that all of our childhood memories are not accidental. When you are a child, every scent, every sound, every move, every toy, the first day of school, the first kiss, the first step. . . Everything together makes what is the personality of a man. All these are pieces of one whole entity.

I was about 6 years old. My mom's best friend left to another town and asked my mom to stay at her place with me for two days in order to look after her two sons. One was a little older than I was. and the second boy appeared to be super grown-up, for he was already fourteen. I always enjoyed staying at their place.

I remember the second day we were supposed to have the come-back party for my mom's friend at her place. I woke up. Mom went to work and reminded me to be nice and clean by the time she came back. I stayed with Tony, the older of the boys and suddenly somebody called him and though he was not permitted to leave me alone-he left. He said it would not be long. But it took him forever. I realized that I was alone. I could not come out of the house, so I opened the window. I was so desperate. So lonely. So betrayed. At that moment I pulled the curtain so strongly that I fell on the floor. And there I was standing-one little criminal-desperate to escape and knowing that I would be punished for destroying the curtain that was not even ours.

But then something changed. I stopped weeping. I looked around and realized that I was in a safe place, and that mom would come back and kiss me no matter what I had done.

This was a moment of pure happiness, not the happiness of getting a new toy or a dog, or going to the party of your best friend. It was the moment of clarity for me-the first time in my life when I realized that I was happy to have my mom and that I was safe. My eyes saw the world in different shades that moment. And by the way-I was not punished for the curtain. I fell asleep on my mom's knees.

6 . I will never forget the days when I met with my classmates. Early in the morning of our first school day, our professor introduced himself and challenged us to get to know someone we didn’t know yet. I stood up look around when a gentle hand touched my shoulder. I turned round to find a wrinkled, little old lady beaming up at me with a smile that lit up her entire being.

She said, “Hi handsome. My name is Rose. Can I give you a hug?”

I laughed and enthusiastically responded, “Of course you may!” and she gave me a giant squeeze.

“Why are you in college at such a young, innocent age?” I asked.

She jokingly replied, “I’m here to meet a rich husband, get married, and have a couple of kids…”

“No seriously,” I asked. I was curious what may have motivated her to be taking on this challenge at her age.

“I always dreamed of having a college education and now I’m getting one!” she told me.

After class we shared a chocolate milkshake. We became instant friends. Every day we would leave class together and talk nonstop. I was always mesmerized（迷住）listening to this “time machine” as she shared her wisdom and experience with me.

At the end of the semester we invited Rose to speak at our football banquet. I’ll never forget what she taught us.

“There is only one secret to staying young. You’ve got to have a dream. When you lose your dreams, you die. We have so many people walking round who are dead and don’t even know it! There is a huge difference between growing older and growing up. If I am eighty-seven years old and stay in bed for a year and never do anything I will turn eighty-eight. Anybody can grow older. That doesn’t take any talent of ability. The idea is to grow up by always finding opportunity in change. Have no regrets. The elderly usually don’t have regrets for what we did, but rather for things we did not do. The only people who fear death are those with regrets.”

She concluded her speech by courageously singing The Rose. She challenged each of us to study the lyrics and live them out in our daily lives.