Sharing New Year with Strangers

I come from a large multicultural family, spread out across the globe. Despite being found in distant corners of the world, we’re a tight-knit family that makes an effort to stay close and keep in touch. New Year has always been a special time for us and a chance for us all to come together, no matter where in the world we might be.

My aunt Samantha, known affectionately by everyone in the family as Mantha, loved New Year and always went out of her way to make it cosy and magical for everyone around her. Mantha was kind, fun and full of energy so it wasn’t hard to get into the New Year spirit when she was around.

This year was no exception. Mantha drove three hours from her house in Bournemouth to visit everyone two weeks before New Year and to drop off presents to her friends still in the area. We chatted merrily about our plans, laughed at how organized Mantha was — presents already bought and wrapped and the freezer full ahead of the big day — and kissed goodbye when it was time to leave. So just several days before New Year, when Mantha’s son called us saying Samantha had passed away suddenly at home, none of us could quite believe it. I’d only been messaging her the day before, sharing voice notes like we always liked to do.

Mantha had had a blood clot (血块) that had unfortunately travelled to her lung and despite the paramedic’s best efforts, they were unable to save my beloved, fun, wonderful aunt.

So close to New Year, none of us felt like celebrating and we decided we’d have a quiet day at home, surrounded by family. The silence lasted until my sister-in-law, Vera, told us about some colleagues of hers who’d just arrived in the UK far away from friends and family. And they were eager to experience a proper English New Year.

Hearing this, we were in a dilemma.

When the day finally came, we welcomed them into our house.

Grandma Liang goes to see her granddaughters every Saturday afternoon. Each time, Grandma Liang brings wonderful gifts: either toys or candies. Her granddaughters, Vera and Gina, are expecting for her visiting.

One Saturday afternoon when Grandma Liang rang the doorbell, Vera and Gina hurried to answer the door. Seeing Grandma Liang brought a pack o fcards, they were glad with joy. They enjoyed themselves so much that thewhole afternoon had passed before they knew it.

At the end of the day, Grandma Liang had dinner with the family. During the dinner, Vera and Gina heard that next Saturday would be Grandma’s birthday, and Mom and Dad would hold a birthday party for her.

They looked at each other secretly and left the dinning hall immediately. ”We have to do something for Grandma’s birthday, Gina decided. “But what?” asked Vera. They thought over and over, but nothing came into their mind.

Then Mom Nancy found them two missing and came to their room to see what had happened. When she entered their room, she found them downhearted. “What’s wrong with you? What makes you two so down and quiet?” asked Nancy.

“Mom, we really wanted to give Grandma something special for her birthday,” Gina said. “But nothing we thought of would do,” added Vera. Hearing that, Grandma Liang came in and held the kids in her arms, saying, “Oh, kids, don’t you know you two are the best gifts I could ever ask for?”

Hearing these words, a good idea hit Gina.

About an hour later, the two came out with a picture.

The ability of young children to remain calm during a crisis is often limited, but a five-year old girl Savannah from Hancock County, Indiana proved to be an exception, which can be life-saving.

The incident began with an emergency call to the local 911 dispatcher (调度员) , Jason Bonham. To his surprise, the person on the other end was a little girl. Despite the gravity of the situation, her behavior and the clear conversation left a significant impression on Jason and millions who later heard the call.

Savannah was up late seeing a movie with her father, Frank, and her mother was on a business trip. It was during the movie night that she heard disturbing sounds from the kitchen. With their pet dog barking ceaselessly, Savannah went to investigate.

In the kitchen, Savannah found her father on the floor, clutching (捂着) his chest. She was terrified but remembered her parents’ advice about emergency situations. Her father was unable to speak, indicating he was in critical condition.

Savannah took the initiative to contact emergency services, dialing 911 from the kitchen wall phone. Her parents had taught her what to do in such situations, which now proved invaluable.

Jason, the 911 operator, had been in this job for 11 years but was amazed by Savannah’s calmness. Despite the challenging circumstances, Jason was able to gather crucial information about Savannah’s father’s condition. Savannah conveyed her father’s symptoms of difficulty breathing and chest pains to Jason, which helped identify the emergency as a possible heart condition.

Jason kept Savannah on the line, distracting her with light conversation while making sure she was keeping an eye on her dad. Jason asked Savannah to unlock the front door for the convenience of paramedics' (急救医士) entering. Savannah kept communicating with Jason until the paramedics arrived. She performed admirably, not only updating Jason about her father’s condition but also taking practical measures, like unlocking the front door for the paramedics,

Before accompanying her father to hospital, Savannah called her mother. And her father was immediately taken into surgery the moment they reached the hospital.

Savannah’s father made it through surgery successfully.

Her example demonstrated that even a child as young as five could make a difference.