1 . At 95, Brigid Kavanagh has finally fulfilled a long time ambition of publishing a book. Yet, her path to having her words put into print wasn’t easy, and required determination and belief in her abilities.

With the strict lockdown (封闭) in Ireland, Kavanagh’s family seized the opportunity to help her publish her book. They collected the many poems and stories written by their mother and had 500 copies of the book In My Mind’s Eye, Walking Amongst Ghosts printed.

Kavanagh tried to get some works published in her 80s, but was met with disappointment. So the publication of her writings is a great triumph. “I just can’t believe it... I’m absolutely thrilled. After my disappointment in the 80s, I thought I was finished,” she shared with RTE News.

The senior shared with the news channel that she'd always found it easier to express herself on paper—a gift that didn’t go unnoticed in her schooldays. “When I was young, my teacher said ‘you should be a writer’, and often asked me to read out my essays. I think it would be grand if she could be around to see that prediction fulfilled.

The book, which consists of the rich memoirs Kavangh has written throughout her lifetime, will give readers insight into World War II in London, her life in Dublin, and back to life in her hometown of Roscommon.

The writer has been given “a new lease of life” according to her son Declan, who, accompanied by his brother Sean, helped his mother fulfill her lifelong dream.

While there are only a limited number of copies available, the real success of the publication is seeing a family coming together to help their mother, and an elderly woman’s satisfaction in seeing her words finally in print for all to enjoy.

3 . I was a teacher before I had my first daughter. As much as I enjoyed being an educator, I decided to stay at home with our baby — at least for the first few years. I enjoyed every day we spent together for a year and a half until I found myself pregnant (怀孕) with identical twin girls.

After the girls were born, it was the busiest time of my life. Between bottle feeding two, changing three little ones in diapers (尿布), and getting them to sleep, I was a hot mess. I was so exhausted that showering and washing my hair took too much energy, so I often skipped them. One afternoon when I sat on the couch with my three screaming children, an idea struck me: I had to write this down. All of it. Every experience, feeling, and challenge from the past year and a half. I didn’t know how I would find the time to write but I knew I would.

And I did. I wrote during nap times, in the evenings, and on weekends when my husband was home and could watch our crew. It started as scattered journal entries and incomplete sentences written down in a notebook or on my laptop. Slowly over months the words formed complete thoughts, then complete paragraphs. Soon, I had made another decision. I wanted to write a memoir (回忆录) in hopes that: it would inspire other women in similar situations. When my book was finally published and drew some attention, I realized how much I loved writing essays that took the reader on a transformative journey, much like my own.

The old proverb says “write what you know.” In just a few short years I have had so much life experience that I have a lot to write about. My daughters are my muse. The experience of having all three of them has given me the confidence to pursue my dream of writing.

I feel I am still teaching, but now instead of through a chalkboard, my words flow through the pages of my books, essays and features. And the only certification I need now, is the one I have — as a mother.

4 . Our tiny boat was ploughing through (费力穿过) the waves across the Indian Ocean and I was absolutely freezing.The further we got from the shelter of the land, the more I thought how foolish I'd been to come along on this trip.

The pilot of the boat looked almost 60 but, perhaps because of a lifetime on the open sea in the hot sun, was very fit and strong.I was wondering how he managed to find his way.To me, it seemed difficult enough to navigate a boat without any electronic equipment even on a sunny day.

So at least we were safe.But this was not what we had come along for.A look at the other divers' faces suggested that now they were also doubtful that we'd ever get the chance to see a whale shark — these weather conditions were totally unsuitable for diving! None of us spoke.It seemed too much of an effort.Then suddenly the boatman stopped the engine.He said a few words in his own language to the diving instructor, who immediately jumped up from his seat and told us to get ready to dive.

When I jumped into the grey sea, I was sure I wouldn't see anything.But then ...there it was! An enormous whale shark, slowly swimming through the water.I couldn't believe my eyes — my first whale shark! I hardly dared breathe — I was afraid my streams of bubbles (气泡)  might scare the huge creature away.And the other divers were equally awed.Slowly we approached this huge animal.It was swimming quite slowly and we were able to swim with it, looking at the beautiful markings on its back.I was still holding my breath, telling myself that this huge fish was harmless! Then I reached out and touched it, stroking  (轻抚) its thick skin.It was amazing how this giant suddenly gained speed — we watched it as it swam away from us, and a few moments later it was gone.

5 . A young woman was walking in Santa Ana, California, when she came upon an elderly street vendor (小贩) selling tamales (玉米粉蒸肉). Seeing how tired he looked in his wheelchair, she decided to give him a few bucks and a sandwich—and she also gave him a sympathetic ear to listen to his story.

When Kenia Barragan first saw Jose Villa Ochoa, she thought of her own parents. “I felt for him,” she told KTTV News, “My parents are both older, and I would hate to see my dad out selling tamales for somebody and barely making ends meet.”

Known as “Don Joel”, he explained that although he wanted a job, no company would hire him because of his age. In order to keep himself out of debt, he started to sell tamales cooked by a local woman. At the end of each hard day, she would give him a cut of the earnings. This allowed him to buy food, but was not enough for him to afford his medical treatment or a phone.

The 28-year-old woman was happy to listen to Don Joel’s story, but she wanted to do more. She made an appeal to her followers on Instagram for some assistance. Within a week, friends and strangers flooded her with more than $84 000 in donations.

In addition to the money raised for Don Joel’s retirement, Kenia purchased him a new wheelchair and a shiny new pair of shoes. Even though he’s 94, he says he feels like he’s 40 now, because the kindness has made him feel so alive. He describes the generosity as “life-changing”.

Kenia feels exactly the same way. She says she’s always looking for a purpose that helps people and that she’s been living in line with those values in her current job, working with people who have disabilities to get them transportation. Her goal in life is to establish a homeless shelter.

6 . Several weeks ago, I pulled an old road map out of the glove box and passed it to my children. They had never seen the province of Ontario laid out like that before. They stared at the map, asking about all the towns, parks, and other landmarks we'd visited, and I pointed them out on the map.

Google Maps and GPS are modern wonders that have gotten me out of many confusing places, but paper maps still have a role to play in our lives. Most of us adults learned to read them out of necessity, but it's up to us to pass on that skill to children whose need may not be so obvious, but who still stand to benefit from it.

As Trevor Muir wrote in an article on this topic, "When kids learn how to create and use paper maps, they are doing more than just learning how to get around. They are actually developing fundamental skills that they will use for the rest of their lives. Map skills still belong in today's classroom. "

As a child I had National Geographic maps taped to my bedroom walls. This aroused my curiosity and imagination about those places and thus made me eager to remember my geography and history lessons because they were tied to places I'd "seen". Even now as a mother of four, I've also spared time to travel to many of the countries whose maps I studied as a child.

Additionally, in this fast-changing world, unexpected events can rapidly influence one's usual way of life. When GPS satellites or Internet connections are affected, this old-fashioned skill can get you out of a mess without requiring a smartphone. Last but not least, paper maps arouse "big picture" thinking, showing kids that there's a much bigger world out there and helping to direct them within it.

So, now is a good time to pull out those dusty old maps and lay them on the kitchen table.

8 . One September night a family had gathered round their fireplace. Up the chimney roared the fire, and brightened the room with its broad flames. The faces of the father and mother had a sober gladness; the children laughed; and the aged grandmother sat knitting in the warmest place. This family of mountaineers was situated in the Notch of the White Hills, where the wind was sharp throughout the year, and pitilessly cold in the winter. Not just that, but a mountain towered above their heads, so steep, that the stones would often roll down its sides and wake the whole house at midnight.

Though they lived in such a remote place, these people held daily conversation with the world. Some travelers, would pause here and pay only for food and accommodation, but meet with a homely kindness beyond all price. When the footsteps were heard, therefore, between the outer door and the inner one, the whole family rose up, grandmother, children, and all, as if about to welcome someone who belonged to them, and whose fate was linked with theirs.

The door was opened by a young man. His face at first wore the sad expression, almost hopelessness, but soon brightened up when he saw the kindly warmth of his reception. He felt his heart spring forward to meet them all, from the old woman, who wiped a chair with her apron, to the little child that held out its arms to him.

“Ah, this fire is the right thing!” cried he, “The biting wind almost froze me. But when I saw this good fire, and all your cheerful faces, I felt as if you were waiting for my arrival. So I shall sit down, and make myself at home.”

After supper, the young man talked freely, feeling himself a member of the family. He was of a proud, yet lonely spirit, so trusting others was not easy for him. However, that night, the educated youth poured out his heart before the simple mountaineers.