1 . I met my art teacher Ms. J in the seventh grade and she changed me.

In her first class, she encouraged us to ________ what art meant. During the discussion about facial structure and paintings, she________ the “golden ratio (黄金比例)”, a beauty standard and explained how Da Vinci applied it to his works to ensure they were visually (视觉上) attractive.

I couldn’t help but think that if my ________ had been measured against the “golden ratio”, my score would have been low.

I was born with a facial disfigurement (缺陷) and my face looked ________. After several appointments with ________, my face was changed many times with little improvement. I ________ seeing myself in the mirror.

People’s strange words and curious expressions kept telling me that I was different. Worse still my photo appeared in a magazine with big letters “Face similar to works of Picasso” right below. I felt ________.

I told Ms. J about my ________ and how my face was compared to Picasso’s painting. “Art isn’t about what you see but about what you ________.” She comforted me and told me that our ________ appearances were our signatures that we left in the world, which set us ________ and made us beautiful. And then she showed me a picture of an old man with long white hair. “You see, Da Vinci doesn’t look too pretty, but his works ________ beauty on us,” she added.

I was touched by her words, and I wondered why I had never thought this way. “Being compared to Picasso may seem like a shame, but it’s a(n) ________. You are unique and you are a masterpiece.”

Today, when I look into the mirror, I will remember the words of my teacher, “Beauty is subjective” and I get to know my appearance is my ________.

It takes me years to ________ that beauty is more than a cold calculation(计算).

2 . I was selfish as a teenager．I usually spent my time thinking about myself and taking care of my own needs．I let my older brother do most of the work around the house until he left for college．I let my mom and dad worry about our bills and problems while I read books, played, and lost myself in my own imagination．This didn't change even when I went to college either．I studied hard but only to make my own life better． Even when I started to explore my faith, it was only to increase my own happiness．

I married after graduation and decided to start a family．Of course, I had no idea what hard knocks reality had in store for my selfish soul．Soon I found myself unemployed, deeply in debt, and with a new baby on the way．l found out that life has little sympathy for spoiled people．In fact, all of the struggles I was going through were beating the selfishness slowly out of me．

Still,I didn't give up on happiness．I knew that there must be a way to find it．I finally realized, however, that it had to include more than just my own needs, wants, and desires．The answer began to make itself clear one night shortly after my baby boy was born．I got a bottle and held him in my arms．As I was feeding him I looked down and saw his big, innocent, trusting eyes．I smiled and talked to him．Then he smiled and I could feel my heart growing, expanding with love．I felt such peace and joy．At that moment I had a hint of the truth: it is by growing our hearts with love that we find our happiness．

Carolyn Arends wrote："The more people you let into your heart, the bigger your heart gets．The more love you get, the more love you have to give．It just keeps growing." So, keep loving, keep living and keep caring. Keep growing your heart today, tomorrow, and always．