Courage is a highly admired virtue. When asked to describe courage, most people conjure up (脑中浮现) the image of an individual running into a burning building, or maybe a hero saving the world. But there's another form of bravery that's much more important because it comes up more often. It's called moral courage.

Moral courage is the ability that allows us to face our fears and to conquer our darkest fears. It’s the ability to face the future without knowing what is certain. It’s the ability to stand tall and confront those who oppose us, those who prevent us from realizing who we are and what we are. But most importantly, it’s the ability to stand up for what’s right, even though there are risks that stand in your way. Sara Anderson once said that "It takes great courage to faithfully follow what we know to be true."

The potential of showing moral courage has the power of changing the world. It was because of the moral courage that Mahatma Gandhi was able to make India free from British rule. He fought bravely against them without the use of any weapon by presenting great moral courage. In this way, he also became a great example for the people of the whole world. It is not that we remember Gandhi because of his body or beauty. We remember him because of the great ideas and principles of his life.

Moral courage is essential not only for a noble life, but a happy one. Without moral courage, we have no control over our lives. Our fears destroy our spirit and make us trapped in depression. Mark Twain said, “Courage is not the absence of fear but the resistance of fear, the mastery of fear.” If our fears cause us to lose confidence in the power of virtue, we will lose something very precious.

People with moral courage rarely get medals, but it is the best marker of true character and a virtue others can be proud of. We must try to develop the power of moral courage that will surely help in ending injustice and wrong and grant us a better world.

First Days

First days are milestones in our lives. They mark the beginning of a new experience or journey, They are also filled with mixed emotions. They can be a little frightening as we step into the unknown, but they can also inspire us as they give us fresh hope for the future. First days are powerful as we can leave our mistakes and failures in the past and make a new start.

I want to share a story that perfectly illustrates this point. It is a story about a little girl named Trisha. Trisha was born in a family of teachers who had taught her that reading was the key to knowledge. She watched her older brother as he read his schoolbooks and could hardly wait for the day when she would learn to read.

But when Trisha finally started school, she found that she was not able to understand the words like the other boys and girls. No matter how hard she tried the letters mixed up together, and she saw only confusion, Trisha fell further behind, the other children laughed and made fun of her, and she began to believe that she was not smart. By the time Trisha entered fifth grade, she had lost all confidence in herself. That was the year she met Mr. Falker. He was different. He praised Trisha’s talents, and he wouldn’t tolerate the other children teasing her. Mr. Falker realized that Trisha didn’t know how to read, but he knew she could with some help.

He recruited(招聘）a reading specialist, and together they worked with Trisha after school. They helped her to write letters and hear the sounds until one day Mr. Falker handed her a book and she read it all by herself. She didn’t even notice the tear, in his eyes.

This is a true story. The little girl is Patricia Polacco, the famous children’s author, and Thank you Mr. Falker is the twenty-sixth book that she has written.

We can all make a difference in the world—one student at a time by using first days” with wisdom and grace，and giving each individual the chance to start over and become the best that they can be.

Poet William Stafford once said that we are defined more by the detours (绕行路) in life than by the narrow road toward goals. I like this image. But it was quite by accident that I discovered the deep meaning of his words.

Road trips felt risky, so I would drive fast, stopping only when I had to. We would stick to the freeways and arrive tired.

But then Banner, our lamb was born. He was rejected by his mama days before our planned trip to Boise. I had two choices: leave Banner with my husband, or take him with me. My husband made the decision for me.

That is how I found myself on the road with four kids, a baby lamb and nothing but my everlasting optimism to see me through. We took the country roads out of necessity. We had to stop every hour, let Banner shake out his legs and feed him. The kids chased him and one another. They’d get back in the car breathless and energized, smelling fresh from the cold air.

We explored side roads, catching grasshoppers in waist-high grass. Even if we simply looked out of the car windows at baby pigs following their mother, or fish leaping out of the water, it was better than the best ride down the freeway. Here was life. And new horizons.

We eventually arrived at my parents’ doorstep astonishingly fresh and full of stories.

I grew brave with the trip back home and creative with my disciplining technique. On an empty section of road, everyone started quarreling. I stopped the car, ordered all kids out and told them to meet me up ahead. I parked my car half a mile away and read my book in sweet silence.

Some road trips are by necessity fast and straight. But that trip with Banner opened our eyes to a world available to anyone adventurous enough to wander around and made me realize that a detour may uncover the best part of a journey-and the best part of yourself.