It had been some time since Jack had seen the old man. College, career, and life itself got in the way. In fact, Jack moved clear across the country in pursuit of the dreams. There, in the rush of his busy life, Jack had little time to think about the past and often no time to spend with his wife and son. He was working on his future, and nothing could stop him.

Over the phone, his mother told him, “Mr. Belser died last night. The funeral is Wednesday.” Memories fleshed through his mind like an old newsreel as he sat quietly remembering his childhood days.

“Jack, did you hear me?”

“Oh, sorry, Mom. Yes, I heard you. it’s been so long since I thought of him. I’m sorry, but I honestly thought he died years ago,” Jack said.

“Well, he didn’t forget you. Every time I saw him he’d ask how you were doing. He’d reminisce about the many days you spent over ‘his side of the fence’ as he put it,” Mom told him.

“I loved that old house he lived in,” Jack said.

“You know, Jack, after your father died, Mr. Belser stepped in to make sure you had a man’s influence in your life,” she said.

“He’s the one who taught me carpentry. I wouldn’t be in this business if it weren’t for him. He spent a lot of time teaching me things he thought were important. Mom, I’ll be there for the funeral.” Jack said.

Busy as he was, he kept his word. Jack caught the next flight to his hometown. Mr. Belser’s funeral was small and uneventful. He had no children of his own, and most of his relatives had passed away.

The night before he had to return home, Jack and his Mom stopped by to see the old house next door one more time, which was exactly as he remembered. Every step held memories. Every picture, every piece of furniture … Jack stopped suddenly.

“What’s wrong, Jack?” his Mom asked.

“The box is gone,” he said.

“What box?” Mom asked.

“There was a small gold box that he kept locked on top of his desk. I must have asked him a thousand times what was inside. All he’d ever tell me was ‘the thing I value most’,” Jack said.

It was gone. Everything about the house was exactly how Jack remembered it, except for the box. He figured someone from the Belser family had taken it.

“Now I’ll never know what was so valuable to him,” Jack said sadly.

Returning to his office the next day, he found a package on his desk. The return address caught his attention.

“Mr. Harold Belser” it read.

Jack tore open the package. There inside was the gold box and an envelope. Jack’s hands shook as he read the note inside, “Upon my death, please forward this box and its contents to Jack Bernett. It’s the thing I valued most in my life.” A small key was taped to the letter. His heart racing, and tears filling his eyes. Jack carefully unlocked the box. There inside he found a beautiful gold pocket watch. Running his fingers slowly over the fine cover, he opened it.

Inside he found these words carved: “Jack. Thanks for your time! Harold Belser.”

“Oh. My God! This is the thing he valued most …”

Jack held the watch for a few minutes, then called his assistant and cleared his appointments for the next two days. “Why?” his assistant asked.

“I need some time to spend with my son,” he said.

Another person’s enthusiasm（热情）was what set me moving toward the success I have achieved. That person was my stepmother.

I was nine years old when she entered our home in the countryside of Virginia. My father introduced me to her with these words: “I would like you to meet the fellow who is well known for being the worst boy in this county and will probably start throwing rocks at you no later than tomorrow morning.”

My stepmother walked over to me, raised my head slightly upward, and looked at me right in the eye. Then she looked at my father and replied, “You are wrong. This is not the worst boy at all, but the smartest one who hasn’t yet found a way to give out his enthusiasm.”

That statement began a friendship between us. No one had ever called me smart, My family and neighbors had built me up in my mind as a bad boy. My stepmother changed all that.

She changed many things. She persuaded my father to go to a dental school, from which he graduated with honors. She moved our family into the county seat, where my father’s career could be more successful and my brother and I could be better educated.

When I turned fourteen, she bought me a secondhand typewriter and told me that she believed that I could become a writer. I knew her enthusiasm, and I saw how it had already improved our lives. I accepted her belief and began to write for local newspapers and finally reached the goal she set for me. I wasn’t the only beneficiary. My father became the wealthiest man in town. My brother and stepbrothers became a physician, a dentist, a lawyer, and a college president.

One day, Jack’s parents told him that his grandpa would retire after working for forty years. Jack said in surprise，“I’m only seven, so it means grandpa has been…er... a really long time!”

His parents said，“Yes. That’s why we are going to have a surprise party for him. ”

Jack loved his grandpa and wanted to do something special for him. He remembered the business card his grandpa had given him two years before. He knew that his grandpa would no longer have the position on that card, so he decided to build a new one for his grandpa.

When the big day came, Jack was ready. But he didn’t want to put his gift together with others’. He carried it around with him the whole evening.

When all the other people left，he took his grandpa’s hand and brought him over to a chair and gave him the gift. His grandpa smiled, “Well，it must be a beautiful gift. May I open it now?” “Sure! ”Jack said excitedly.

As his grandpa opened the gift, tears came into his eyes. Jack gave him the greatest gift he had ever got! They were business cards with his new position FULL-TIME GRANDPA! Jack said, “Now your full-time job is my grandpa!”

“Well，how much do I get paid?”his grandpa asked，smiling. “As many hugs as you want!” With these words，Jack gave his grandpa a hug. “Well, I guess that means I’m the richest man in the world! ” said his grandpa.