“Oh，oh，”I thought.I was the one who broke the window.I had not done it intentionally.It was caused by an errant throw of a baseball.I was working on my knuckleball.It needed more work.Why did it have to be me？It wasn’t really my fault.If I admitted guilt，I would be in a lot of trouble.How would I be able to pay for a big window like that？I didn’t even get an allowance.“My father is going to have a fit，”I thought.I didn’t want to raise my hand，but some force much stronger than I was pulled it skyward.I told the truth.“I did it.”I said no more.It was hard enough saying what I had.
My teacher went to one of our library shelves and took down a book.She then began walking towards my desk.I had never known my teacher to strike a student，but I feared she was going to start with me and she was going to use a book for the swatting.
“I know how you like birds，”she said as she stood looking down at my guilt-ridden face.“Here is that field guide about birds that you are constantly checking out.It is yours.It’s time we got a new one for the school anyway.The book is yours and you will not be punished as long as you remember that I am not rewarding you for your misdeed，I am rewarding you for your truthfulness.”
I couldn’t believe it！I wasn’t being punished and I was getting my very own bird field guide.The very one that I had been saving up money to buy.The money I feared would be going to the school to buy a new window.
I wore out that book trying to match the live，flying birds to their depictions in that field guide.The book is gone，so is my wonderful teacher.All that remains of that day is my memory and the lesson my teacher taught me.That lesson stays with me every day and it will echo forever.
“这是谁干的？”老师问。三十名学生都设法去回想他们做了什么。“这是谁干的？”老师又问了一遍。其时，她并不是真的想问，她只是想要一个答案。她很少生气，但这一次她真的生气了。她举起一块打碎的玻璃问道：“是谁打碎了这块玻璃？”
“呃，天哪，”我暗自想道。我就是那个打碎玻璃的人。但我并不是有意要那么做的。只是因为把棒球扔错了地方。当时我正在练习投不旋转球，还需要更多的练习。为什么偏偏是我呢？这并不是我的错啊。如果我承认了，我就会有很多麻烦。我哪里有钱来赔偿这么一大块玻璃呢？我甚至连零用钱都没有。“爸爸一定会大发雷霆，”我想。我并不想举手，但有一种比我自身更强大的力量抬起了我的手。我讲出了真相。“是我干的。”我没再说别的。承认这件事是自己做的真的相当困难。
老师走到图书馆的一个书架旁取下了一本书，然后向我走来。我从不知道老师会打学生，但我害怕我会是她动手打的第一个学生，她将用这一本书重重地猛击我。
“我知道你很喜欢小鸟，”她看着我那张充满了愧疚的脸，说道，“这是一本关于野生鸟儿的指导书。它是你的了。反正学校也该买本新的了。只要你记住我奖励你不是因为你做错事，而是因为你诚实，你就不会受到惩罚。”
这真是难以置信！我不仅没有受到惩罚，还拥有了自己的野生鸟儿指南。那可是我一直攒钱想买的书啊。这钱我本来还担心会赔给学校去买一块新玻璃呢。
我努力想找到书中描述的那些活的飞翔的鸟儿，所以那本书都被我翻破了。现在这本书和我的那位好老师都已经不在了。剩下的只有我对那天的记忆以及老师对我说的话。那个教训永远都会在我的脑海里重现。
种植幸福的三个步骤How to Grow Happiness
Someone says that Happiness comes of the capacity to feel deeply，to enjoy simply，to think freely，and to be needed.I have no objection to that，only wondering how to grow happiness.
Step one：
Plant yourself deep in a bed of faith，and pack it down solid and tight.Drench daily with positive thinking，and keep saturated just right.Mulch often with forgiveness，for this will help you grow.Quickly remove any seeds of worry，for they will soon germinate，and keep out the weeds of despair.Nourish disappointments with hope whenever it is needed，and always stay cool and shaded when you feel irritated or heated.Trim away guilt or depression，for they create decay，and cultivate with happy memories as often as every day.
Step two：
Harvest the lessons of the past；just dig，pick，and hoe.And nurture the roots of the present，for now is when you flourish and grow.Start planting for the future；set your goals in a row.Spade the bed well for all your dreams to grow.
Step three：
Remember that grief is a natural predator，so learn to tolerate some damage.Protect your garden with daily prayers，for this will help you manage.Bury the criticism and complaining，for they are injurious pests.Sow the seed of love wherever you may go--for joy，love and laughter are surely bound to grow.Although the thorns of life may be here to stay，just sprout a smile along the Way，and be thankful for what you have.
有人说幸福来源于深切地去感触，简单地去享受，自由地去思考，以及被需要。对此我并无异议，只是在想如何才能种植幸福。
步骤一：
把自己紧紧牢牢地埋在“信念”的土壤里。每天浇灌以“积极”的思想，并始终保持湿润。经常以“宽容”来护根，这样有利于幸福的幼苗成长。一旦发现忧虑的种子，及时除掉，否则它们很快会生根发芽，同时你也要将绝望消灭在萌芽状态。在必要时，用希望来滋养失望；烦躁不安的时候，保持冷静。修剪枝叶，修剪去愧疚和沮丧，否则衰枝败叶会很快出现。每天用“幸福回忆”细心照料幼苗。
步骤二：
挖掘、收割、筛选，从“过往”收获经验。精心照料“此时此刻”的根茎，因为这正是旺盛生长的时期。有所计划与目标，着手种植“明天”。翻掘一下泥土，为孕育明天的梦想做好准备。
步骤三：
记住，“整日沉浸于悲痛中”会吞噬你的灵魂，所以要学会宽容应付灾难。每天“祈祷”，保护你的花园，这有利于掌控。将“批评”与“埋怨”这些害虫掩埋起来。将“爱”的种子播散到你足迹所至的每个角落，“欢乐”、“爱”和“微笑”就会生机无限地发育成长。哪怕生命“荆棘”满途，也要在一旁种上微笑的芽苗……不管一切如何，为今天你所拥有的全部而心存感激吧！
生活半对半The 50-Percent Theory of Life
I believe in the 50-percent theory.Half the time things are better than normal；the other half，they are worse.I believe life is a pendulum swing.It takes time and experience to understand what normal is，and that gives me the perspective to deal with the surprises of the future.
Let‘s benchmark the parameters：Yes，I will die.I’ve dealt with the deaths of both parents，a best friend，a beloved boss and cherished pets.Some of these deaths have been violent，before my eyes，or slow and agonizing.Bad stuff，and it belongs at the bottom of the scale.
Then there are those high points：romance and marriage to the right person；having a child and doing those Dad things like coaching my son‘s baseball team，paddling around the creek in the boat while he’s swimming with the dogs，discovering his compassion so deep it manifests even in his kindness to snails，his imagination so vivid he builds a spaceship from a scattered pile of Legos.
But there is a vast meadow of life in the middle，where the bad and the good flip-flop acrobatically.This is what convinces me to believe in the 50-percent theory.
