Jessica and Cayla were two sisters, who loved each other very much. They were not only sisters, but they were best friends, too. They liked to eat, play, go to school and do everything together. Nothing could break them apart!

One day, there was a running race competition at school. Both Jessica and Cayla were very fast runners and they were sure they would win if they signed up for it. They were very excited to participate together. And there were other friends too, who were all going to run.

The judge blew the whistle… toooot!! Everyone started running. Jessica and Cayla were running as fast as they could. They were running so fast that they passed everyone in a very short time. The audience was cheering, “Look at the sisters. They are so fast, like lightening!” Hearing the cheers, they ran even faster. They barely looked at each other.

Suddenly Cayla hit a stone on the race track. She got hurt and fell down, with her leg bleeding. She called Jessica to stop and give her a hand. She groaned (呻吟) with pain. But Jessica wouldn’t stop or look. She guessed that Cayla just had a slight fall. She had only one thought on her mind. She had to win this race!

Jessica reached the finish line first. The judge announced, “You are the first, Jessica!” But, there was no applause from the crowd. Jessica was surprised. She had won but no one was clapping for her. She turned back to see if her sister Cayla was close behind her. But she was not there! Jessica was worried that something bad had happened.

Jessica started running back. Soon she reached the spot where Cayla was lying injured. Jessica felt awful. She was not there for her sister when she needed her the most.

Feeling guilty for her behavior, Jessica sat down to check Cayla’s injury.

When both the sisters reached the finish line, they hugged.

I couldn’t forget the way I was frozen in front of the class today. My teacher, Mr. Liu had divided the class into groups to do speeches. Today was my turn. However, my hands shook so badly that I couldn’t read my notes. My voice became softer even to silence. Mr. Liu kindly ended my part of speech even though I clearly didn’t finish. He also asked me to stay after class for a moment.

“Betty, I know you are shy, but you worked so hard on this project. I’d hate to see you give up on yourself.” Mr. Liu said, “If I give you another chance until tomorrow, do you think you can find courage?” I nodded, grateful for the chance. I went as quickly as I could to my next class, keeping my head down and hoping the school day would end soon.

When I reached home that afternoon, I could see an inviting light coming from the kitchen windows. Mum was baking(烘焙). She studied my face as I came into the kitchen. “What’s wrong, Betty?”

Tears shone in my eyes. I told her the whole story. Mum was silent for a moment with her hands busy with the cake. “Why is it that you can talk to me about anything and everything but you can’t talk to your class?” Mum asked. She set the time right and then said, “Let me show you something.”

I followed her to the bedroom. There she showed me a book filled with pictures. In it there was a blue ribbon(丝带) that said “First Place” and a picture of herself when she was very young, standing with her parents.

“I won it for public speaking. I started the school year as the shyest girl on the speech team, but I ended the year as the blue ribbon winner. It wasn’t easy at first—not sure of myself at all. I worked hard, and mostly I faced my tears. You just need to find your courage.”

The cool morning air was filled with the hustle and bustle (喧嚣忙碌) typical of a weekday. “Jordan! Julia!” I called out. “Get dressed right away—we’re late!”

It was another one of those mornings where everything could go wrong. I hadn’t been a single mom for all that long, but with the approach of the new year, I was filled with a renewed sense of optimism. This year, I thought, things would be different. We would be more organized, more on time, and less chaotic (混乱的). Or so was the plan.

Jordan, my thoughtful twelve-year-old, was the first to emerge from his room, looking slightly untidy but ready for the day. “Sorry, Mom,” he said in a low voice, adjusting his glasses. “I couldn’t find my science project.”

Julia, who was only eight years old, was not far behind. “I’m not wearing this!” she protested, holding up a dress I had laid out for her. “It’s a bit worn!”

I took a deep breath, trying to be patient. “Okay, quickly find something else. We really have to go!”

Breakfast was some piece of bread and milk, but somehow, we managed. As we rushed out the door, I couldn’t help but feel a bit defeated. Wasn’t the new year supposed to bring about change? Yet here we were, the same chaotic conditions, running late as ever.

In the car, Jordan broke the silence. “Mom, you’re doing great,” he said, a serious look in his eyes. It was moments like these that reminded me of the maturity he possessed beyond his years. Julia cut in, saying, “Yeah, Mom. We love you, even when we’re late.” Her words, though a bit simple and sincere, warmed my heart.

As I dropped them off at school, their cheerful goodbyes and “I love yous” filled me with a sense of purpose. Maybe it wasn’t about being perfect or having everything under control. Maybe it was about these moments of love and comfort, of overcoming daily obstacles (障碍) together.

Picking up the kids after school, I was greeted with their excited talking about their day.

“What’s the plan for tomorrow?” I asked them.