Homebuyers nationwide are watching housing prices go up, up, and up. "How high can they go?" is the question on everyone's lips.

It's crazy, "said Tim, who is looking for a house near the beach. "In 1993, I bought a two-bedroom house in Venice for $70，000. My friends thought then that I was overpaying. Five years later, I had to move. I sold it for $230，000, which was a nice profit. Last year, the exact same house was for sale for S510,000!

It is a seller’s market. Homebuyers feel like they have to offer at least 10% more than the asking price. Donna, a new owner of a one-bedroom house in Venice Beach, said, "That's what I did. I told the owner that whatever anyone offers you, I'll give you $20,000 more, under the table, so you don' t have to pay your realtor(房地产经纪人) any of it. I was tired of looking.”

Tim said, "Whether you decide to buy or decide not to buy, you still feel like you made the wrong decision. If you buy, you feel like you overpaid. If you don't buy, you want to kick yourself for passing up a great opportunity.”

Everyone says the bubble has to burst sometime, but everyone hopes it will burst the day after they sell their house. Even government officials have no idea what the future will bring. "All we can say is that, inevitably, these things go in cycles," said the state director of housing. "What goes up must come down But, as we all know, housing prices always stay up a little higher than they go down. So you can’t lose over the long run. Twenty years down the road, your house is always worth more than you paid for it.”

I received my autoimmune disease diagnosis (自身免疫疾病诊断) in 2009, and for the first few months, I was in a very bad place. I was suffering from severe anxiety and panic attacks on a daily basis. I was no longer able to function as a “normal” person. During that time, all I could do at best was to move about the house trying to do some easy housework, and prepare meals.

After a few months on the Paleo Autoimmune Protocol, my intense tiredness improved and I slowly regained some energy. That is when I tried to follow my doctor's advice to exercise.

I clearly remember my first attempt. I was still weak, but somehow, I thought that if I could push through and pretend I had a normal life that things would get better. So, I went out and started running in the little neighborhood park. Unfortunately, I didn't last even five minutes and came back home, totally crashed. It took me several days to recover. After that first brush with exercise, I understood that I would have to start slow.

I began going on daily walks with my husband around the block. Slowly, we went further and further, and my strength came back progressively.

After walking, I started to attend yoga classes. I remember barely making it through my first class. My muscles were weak and trembling (颤抖) by the time I rolled up my mat. But I was also so happy to be able to get out of the house, mix with other people and have a social life!

After yoga, I ventured into activities a little bit more strenuous (费力的), but still gentle on the joints. I was going to the swimming pool to do laps and riding my bike. Recently, after almost four years on the Paleo Autoimmune Protocol, I was finally able to start exercising regularly with a personal trainer.

In the summer between my first year and second year in college, I was invited to be an instructor at a high school camp. On the first day, when we were dancing and playing games, I noticed a boy under the tree who was small and thin. His shyness made him appear weak. I walked towards him, introduced myself and invited him to join in the activities and meet some new people. He quietly replied, "No, I really don't want to do this." I could understand that he was in a new world but I knew it wouldn't be right to force him, either. Actually, the boy didn't need a close talk but a friend.

At lunch the next day, I was leading camp songs when 1 saw the boy under the tree sitting alone. I tried again with the same invitation, but he refused once again. That evening I was told the boy's name was Tommy. Then I asked the campers to pay special attention to the boy and spend time with him when they could.

The days went by and the time came when we had to leave. We held a big, warm party to celebrate the closing of the camp. All the campers shared their wonderful moments. To my surprise. 1 found the boy from under the tree dancing joyfully with two girls. I couldn't believe it was the same person.

In October of my second year, I received a phone call from Tommy's mother. She told me that Tommy was hit by a car and killed. I offered my deep sadness. The mother said: “'Tommy mentioned you so many times. I want you to know that he went back to school and made new friends with confidence. You made a difference for Tommy during his last months.”

At that moment, I realized how easy it was to give a bit of yourself every day. You may never know how much each gesture may mean to someone else. I hope that everyone can pay attention to their own “boy under the tree”.