I was in my early 30s, seeking a creative outlet unrelated to boring housework and raising little kids. At 65, George had recently retired and was seeking a rewarding hobby for his golden years. For both of us, painting was “it” and we met at a local painting class. Thus we began a friendship until the day he died.

George took to painting with an awe-inspiring (令人惊叹的) level of passion and commitment, even changing the spare bedroom of his home into a studio. How I envied him, as in my own home and I had neither the space nor the funds for such a luxury. His painting equipment was comprehensive. George housed many of these items in a red metal tool box. For about six years George and I studied together through various units until we finished the course.

Some years passed and George was about 80 years old. One day, he rang and told me that he was giving up painting and giving away all his “stuff”. “I can’t paint, I don’t know why I ever thought I could,” he said. He was mistaken about his painting ability because he had turned out some wonderful works. However, George had decided he was through with painting, and no amount of talking could persuade him otherwise. “You have the best talent and are most likely to use it,” he said. That was why George left all his painting equipment to me. After considerable persuasion, I accepted this precious gift on condition that he could get it back at any time. He never did, of course.

I still use much of his equipment today. As I paint, I often remember George, his big personality, generous spirit and unfailing encouragement. The most treasured item is the red tool box, still in good shape.

Friends make life more rich and satisfying, and that’s for sure. But sometimes it can be hard to tell when you’ve crossed the line from “stranger” to “friend” with another person. 【小题1】

See if they have your back during hard times.

A true friend should be with you through the good, bad, and ugly. They should offer to help you however they can, and bring you back from the darkness into the light again. A true friend would never think of leaving you during a difficult time in your life.【小题2】 They might even think or say that your problems are a burden to them. That’s the mark of a fake (假的) friend.

【小题3】

Some people may pretend to be your friend, and they’d much rather see you fail or get into trouble.【小题4】 But, for the most part, friends should be a good influence on you. They inspire you to become a better person. For example, your friend might push you to finish school and inspire you to give back to others. Notice if they are forgiving.

【小题5】 When you mess up and hurt their feelings, you might apologize (道歉) and beg for their forgiveness. A good friend will gratefully accept your apology and offer you forgiveness. For example, if you forgot to call a friend back, they shouldn’t be mad at you. They should recognize that it was a simple mistake and not give you a hard time about it.

I took a deep breath and walked through Mom’s front door, my arms full of groceries. A challenge lay ahead of me, someone who could barely boil water: cooking the Easter Sunday feast. What if I made everyone sick? It could truly be our family’s last super meal.

Making the holiday meal was my brother’s job, not mine. I could never fill his shoes. Peter had died in September at the age of 45 from a heart attack, but he’d been a natural in the kitchen all his life. He planned every course in detail, from the crescent rolls to the Dutch apple pie.

My family was lost without him, and we went out to dinner for Thanksgiving and ordered pizza for Christmas. By the time Easter rolled around, though, I couldn’t bear the idea of another holiday surrounded by takeout (外卖食品) boxes. Peter would have hated that. To him, there was nothing more important than a meal made with love. So I convinced Mom that we should cook Easter dinner together. Only, we were terrible cooks.

I had been thinking what to cook for Easter dinner. I’d bitten off more than I could chew. No one could do this half as well as Peter.

I stepped into the family room. Mom was still at church, but her newspaper was opened on the coffee table, to the sports section, as usual. She was a huge Notre Dame women’s basketball fan, and the featured story was about forward Devereaux Peters. I read the headline and nearly dropped my grocery bags, Filling Peter’s Shoes.

That afternoon, cooking in the kitchen, I didn’t feel so alone. Mom and I pulled together and the Easter feast was not that bad. The ham may have been a little dry, but it was all made with love—just like Peter would have wanted.