There are plenty of mindless activities to keep a child busy in this information age. Yet despite the competition, my 8-year-old daughter Alice wants to spend her leisure time writing short stories. She wants to enter one of her stories into a writing contest, a competition which she won last year.

As a writer, I know about winning contests—and about losing them. I know what it is like to work hard on a story only to receive a rejection letter from the publisher. I also know the pressure of trying to live up to a reputation created by previous victories. What if she doesn’t win the contest again? That’s the strange thing about being a parent. So many of our own past scars and destroyed hopes can resurface in our children.

A revelation(启示）came last week when I asked her, “Don’t you want to win again?” “No,” she replied. “I just want to tell the story of an angel going to first grade.”

I had just spent weeks correcting her stories as she spontaneously (自发地）told them. Telling myself that I was an experienced writer guiding the young writer across the hall, I offered suggestions for characters, conflicts and endings for her tales. The story about a fearful angel starting first grade was quickly “guided” by me into the tale of a little girl with a wild imagination taking her first music lesson. I had turned her contest into my contest without even realizing it.

Staying back and giving kids space to grow is not as easy as it looks. Because I know very little about farm animals who use tools or angels who go to first grade, I had to accept the fact that I was co-opting (借鉴) my daughter’s experience.

While stepping back was difficult for me, it was certainly a good first step that I will quickly follow with more steps, putting myself far enough away to give her room but close enough to help if asked. All the while I will be reminding myself that children need room to experiment, grow and find their own voices.

Today the word friendship has been used so often that it has lost its meaning. Some jokingly or seriously say that friends are made to be used. It makes me very sad.

True friendship doesn’t mean that when you need your friend’s help, you will treat him to dinner, and when you have to protect yourself, you will put your friends in a difficult situation.

In fact, true friendship is the communication and understanding of the hearts.

True friendship is like water. Compared with decent wine, water is tasteless, but is of great help when we are thirsty. True friends don’t need to be with each other every day, but are connected in heart every minute.

True friendship is like medicine. Though it is bitter, it cures your illness. True friends give you some suggestions even if they know you would not take. They criticize you when others have a good word for you, not because of envy but worrying that you may lose your cool head.

True friendship has nothing to do with fame, power or money. True friends would often watch you silently far away when you are influential, but come to you whenever you need their help. You’re not his stepping-stone to success, but are his crutch to live through difficulties.

True friends make you complete. Many persons go along with you through your life ─your parents, your husband/wife, and your children, who take care of you and make your life happy. However，, you still need someone who understands your thoughts and souls. Without them, you are likely to be unhealthy in spirit.

True friends stay in your heart, rather than at your side; they know you more than yourself, and try to better you.

Beliefs form a big part of our lives. Successful people have always believed that they can be and will be successful in their lives, such as Michael Phelps. Many of us have seen Michael Phelps win 8 gold medals in a single Olympic Games. That has created a history for himself. Many people have admired his success and the first reaction in their mind will be, “Wow, how I wish I could be like him!” Have you ever wondered what brought him success?

In fact, anyone can achieve what they have wanted to achieve. It is about beliefs. Everyone is a born winner. It is this belief that drives an individual to be successful in his or her own field. All successful individuals have strong beliefs and it is one of the bases for their success. If we start to believe in ourselves, the things that we can achieve will definitely give us a pleasant surprise.

Other than having a strong belief, it is the attitude that drives the individual to create their own history. The devotion towards themselves and the drive must also be present. Imagine having a strong belief in oneself and having a poor attitude towards life. Then how would that individual turn out to be? One’s attitude comprises the drive, the devotion and the desire to achieve his goals. If one has strong beliefs about the goals that he can achieve and he displays good attitudes towards them, it would be no surprise to anyone that he will be able to achieve his goals.

Start believing in yourself and you will achieve your goals and with the right positive attitude, you will definitely be able to create the miracle that you have always dreamt of.