I begged my mom to let me make cookies by myself. Even though I had never attempted baking before, I was nine years old and my friend Emmie had been baking cupcakes by herself for a year. I was determined to prove that I could make it.

My brother, Caleb, laughed at the idea of me cooking alone, calling it a disaster. Having a big brother can be annoying. Despite his laughing, my mom agreed to let me try. She reminded me to take my time and be careful because I’d had some messy spills before I was nine.

I raced to the kitchen and went to work. I cracked eggs and put a cold stick of butter into the bowl. I turned on the mixer at medium speed—and whoa. Whoa. Whoa! What a disaster! I had to wipe butter off my face, then off the table and floor.

Caleb made fun of me again, calling me a mess. I chased him away with a spoon and turned back to the mixing bowl. I started again with softer butter. Referring to the recipe, I poured everything needed into the bowl and mixed it. After that, I put round batter (面糊) onto the cookie sheet and put it into the oven (烤箱). Within a minute, a fantastic smell filled the kitchen—the smell of cookie success!

I was going to prove that I was responsible. No more eye-rolling from my brother. No more “You’re too young” from my parents. I was grown up and in control.

I stared into the oven, and my heart sank. The neat, little balls had melted (融化) and overflowed to the edges of the cookie sheet. I pulled the pan out just as Caleb wandered back into the kitchen.

“What in the world?” He started to laugh. “Cookie soup?”

“You just be quiet,” I whispered, trying not to cry. “Just leave me alone.”

“How’s it going in there?” Dad called from the living room.

Caleb raised his eyebrows and bit his lip. I responded that everything was fine, pouring the melted batter into the bowl quickly.

In a small town, there was a community talent show held every year in the local park. The event was a highlight for many, with performances from various local talents. Among the audience was a woman named Emily, a kind-hearted local librarian, along with her 12-year-old daughter Anna. Both of their eyes were filled with excitement.

As the show began, Emily and her daughter watched a young girl in amazement, about eight, confidently sing a song. Her voice was surprisingly powerful for her small body. Then a group of teenagers followed. Their hip-hop dance routine was full of energy, leading to cheers from the crowd. There was even an elderly gentleman who performed a series of magic tricks. However, as the sun began to set, many in the audience grew tired and the applause (掌声) after each act became less enthusiastic (热情的).

Then came the turn of a young boy, around ten years old, nervously holding his violin. As he started playing, it was clear that he was a beginner. His notes were shaky and he missed a few beats. The audience, already tired, responded with only a little polite applause. Emily noticed the boy’s frustrated face as he finished his performance.

It was at this moment that Emily recalled a powerful memory from her own childhood—the time when she had stood on a similar stage, her voice trembling (颤抖) through a song. But the kindness she had received from a stranger in the audience pushed her to carry on. Drawing from the lesson she had learned from the past experience, Emily stood up, clapping loudly and cheering for the boy. “Great job! Keep practicing, and you’re doing wonderfully!”she called out. Her enthusiasm inspired other members of the audience to join in the applause, their clap growing louder and more sincere.

In my high school years, I tried not to be anybody’s best friend and avoid going to birthday parties or weekend trips with my peers (同龄人). That was not because I was too shy but because I couldn’t afford the expenses. My parents did odd jobs to support the family and our income was low and unstable. As the oldest of the three kids in my family I had started to take part-time jobs on weekends and during vacations to help improve the family economic conditions. However, in my heart I did have a best friend, Joseph. I never said that to him and I guessed he didn’t know it.

Joseph came from a very different family from mine. His parents were both senior executives (管理人员) of high-tech companies, who provided him with the best of everything and he had many friends around him. We did school projects together, had discussions about interesting topics and enjoyed our time together. But I never joined him in anything outside the school. I liked him but I knew I didn’t have much to offer.

I had decided to go to college after graduation from high school, so I needed to have excellent academic performance in all subjects to be qualified for scholarships. I worked hard and was doing well in everything except math. I knew math was important to me but there seemed to be no way out. I was struggling when Joseph came to my help. He was considered one of the smart boys by the math teacher, who gave us monthly tests and awarded best performance with chocolates and best progress with Skittles (彩虹糖).

Joseph was a frequent holder of the best performance award. I appreciated his help because he had great ways to get me thinking and guide me to solve problems. I was making progress in math and Joseph knew it. He encouraged me to go for best progress award first and then best performance.

Those awards seemed really big goals for me, but I decided to go all out.

Three months later, my first goal was achieved.

“You’re fired!” Andrew Chilton wasn’t joking. At that moment, the high school junior wanted his personal care attendant, Christy Chachere, out of his life forever. He didn’t want her help any more. He thought he could write his own term papers. “You’re fired!” He said it again.

Christy Chachere, a retired PE teacher, didn’t take a step back. She believed she could do this job. “You know, I’ve taught middle schoolers,” she said. What about Andrew’s outcry? It was music to her ears. Progress was faster than expected.

When Andrew suffered from autism (自闭症) at age eight, people told his mom, Cindy, to get him on the list for an attendant to provide after-school care. Someone would drive him to places and see that he was safe. In New Orleans, Louisiana, the wait can be years, the need far outstrips (超过) the supply. Cindy had no choice but to turn to the program Volunteers of America for help.

Even so, it was eight years before they were matched with Christy. In the meantime. Andrew’s family did their best to help him get through life’s hardships. “I did worry about him,” said Cindy. There was a lot to worry about. Doctors and school teachers said that Andrew might not even graduate from high school. Other questions were around the corner as well. Would he ever have a job, or live independently?…Cindy would do anything for her son.

Christy saw the problem right away. “Andrew wouldn’t take a step without his mother’s permission (同意),”she recalled. “You have to let him fail,” she told the family. “It’s the only way he’s going to learn. He has to be able to do things on his own.”

No longer would Cindy help Andrew write papers. His younger brother wouldn’t help him with the computer, either. It was a little unacceptable to step back. Actually, everyone was on board but Andrew.

Andrew was filled with anger, but things began to change.

“She understood me, and it turned out she was really nice.” Andrew said.

For as long as I can remember, my parents raised me with dogs, cats, birds and fish in the house, and I felt the most comfort with these pets in my surroundings. As an only child, I grew up talking to these animals since I never had a partner to play with at home.

I created characters for each of the pets and I included them in my imaginary adventures, tying capes onto the dogs, who were changed into superheroes, and giving headwear to the cats, who became girls. Even after I began attending pre-school, I’d eagerly await my return from school so that I could relay all the exciting details to my pets who would listen and pretend to be slightly interested in my wandering. In fact, I probably communicated with my pets more than I did with my friends, since these animals offered a sense of safety which no individual could provide. It never felt strange for me to talk with members of different species and I always felt satisfied after I spoke with them.

Imagine the shock I faced when I realized that certain cruel persons badly treated their pets. Over the spring break of third grade when I visited Aunt Judy and my cousins in Philadelphia, I met her one-eyed cat, Gordon. A cold, skinny creature, I firstly avoided directing my attention towards the cat. Aunt Judy must have noticed my strange behavior, so she took me aside and explained that the Gordon’s owner had deserted him. The cat was extremely unhealthy and injured when Aunt Judy discovered him.

After she had found medical treatments for the cat, my aunt decided to keep him because Aunt Judy said, “The unwanted animals are the ones most in need of someone to love them wholeheartedly.” After my aunt’s advice, I spent additional time to know Gordon and as days passed, he grew less afraid of me and I became more willing to love him.

Para 1: It broke my heart to see his sad eyes.

Para 2: No creature loves such a lonely end to their life.

On a bright Saturday, my peaceful lunchtime was suddenly interrupted when my dad surprised me with an unplanned idea. I couldn’t hide my annoyance as what was supposed to be a relaxing Saturday turned into a day focused on football — a sport I wasn’t very excited about.

Many of my friends loved sports, while I preferred to find comfort in the pages of a good book rather than run around on a football court. My lack of interest resulted in average performance on the team, and I often felt like I was a problem for both my coach and teammates.

Things changed last week when our coach announced a coming match against the champions scheduled for a month later. The realization that this important game would have a big audience only made me more anxious. The fear of possibly letting down the team weighed on me.

Determined to make a positive impact, I decided to practice hard every day. My motivation came from wanting to help the team and to overcome the self-doubt affecting my performance.

As the match day approached, my teammates seemed unsure about including me in the lineup (阵容). I wouldn’t have minded sitting out, but the situations were different. With one player short, they reluctantly (不情愿地) included me, and The Thunder Strikers, our team, stepped onto the field to enjoy cheers from the crowd.

The pressure was intense. The game started, and within the ten minutes, I received a warning. Before long, the referee showed me a second yellow card, forcing me to leave the field. When I got back into the game, the score was tied, and the next goal would decide the winner.

As the ball came toward me, I felt a bit scared. My teammates seemed tired, and the other team really wanted to win. With great courage, I kicked the ball. The opponents (对手), maybe not expecting much from me because of my earlier struggles, were surprised when the ball went past the goalkeeper.

The Thunder Strikers won!

After this win, football became different for me.

It was a Friday. Once the school bus dropped me off at my home, I ran quickly into the house. “Dad, I’m here. I’m ready!” I called out. He would drive me to the supermarket and then I would continue taking my driving courses. On the way to the supermarket, I told my dad I needed to get two pairs of shoes. “One pair is enough,” Dad replied.

Unhappy, I felt our car slow down, as he pulled up. “Dad, why are we stopping?” I asked. Dad said, “The lady back there looks like she’s in trouble.” I turned around, seeing a little, old truck pulled to the side of the highway. Dad told me there was a lady inside and that she was having trouble with the truck and needed some help. “Dad, why do we have to stop and help her? Let somebody else do it,” I said, wanting to reach the supermarket quickly.

“Look, girl. Don’t be selfish (自私的),” he said seriously. “By helping this lady, there’s a great possibility that if you ever get stuck or need help, someone just might stop and help you. Sit here. I’ll be right back!”

Then, he walked through the rain back towards the woman’s truck. Minutes later he was back, saying she had run out of gas. Then, he drove to a gas station and bought gas for the lady without asking her to pay. I felt unhappy because helping her took us much time.

Days later, I had my learner’s permit (许可证) and then my driver’s license (驾照). I drove everywhere during the summer, and I was excited when school started because I drove myself to school: no more bus for me. Autumn turned quickly into winter, and I still loved the freedom my second-hand car gave me.

But my first winter of driving in the snow was a challenge. Not knowing it would have an unexpected snowstorm that day and that I would have a big problem, I started my car on that clear winter morning.

I just gladly left home and drove to school.

“I’ll push while you give it a little gas,” the stranger instructed, looking at my car stuck in the snow.