Dear *BR,

Today is the third day of the brand new year. I will start to work and go to graduate school today. However, I will dine with WZ teachers, classmates and schoolmates not only at noon but also in the evening. I guess I will have a satisfactory Saturday today. I plan to relax myself more to enjoy life this year because I deserve my own simple happiness.

I just read a story about "the shell of the snails "shared by the net friend and would like to share with you now.

蝸牛的殼

http://tw.myblog.yahoo.com/jw!5RXLSwufERSk5xaOzWT8viGs/article?mid=2867

小蝸牛問媽媽：「媽媽，媽媽，為什麼我們從生下來，就要背負這個又硬又重、又笨又醜的殼呢？」

媽媽回答說：「那是因為我們的身體沒有骨骼的支撐，不能走，只能爬，爬又爬不快。所以才需要這個硬殼的保護呀！」

「可是毛毛蟲姐姐沒有骨頭，也爬不快呀，為什麼她就不用背這個又硬又重的殼呢？」小蝸牛眨著一雙疑惑的眼睛接著問。

媽媽說：「因為毛毛蟲姐姐能長出漂亮的翅膀，變成美麗的蝴蝶，天空會保護她啊。」

小蝸牛還是一臉的疑惑：「蚯蚓弟弟也沒骨頭也爬不快，也不會長出翅膀變成蝴蝶，他怎麼不背這個又硬又重的殼呢？」

媽媽慈愛地摸了摸小蝸牛的頭，說：「因為蚯蚓弟弟會鑽土，大地會保護他啊。」

這時，小蝸牛哭了起來，說：「媽媽，我們好可憐，天空不保護，大地也不保護。」

蝸牛媽媽笑了，說：「傻孩子，我們有殼啊！我們不靠天、不靠地，我們靠自己，這樣不是更好嗎！」

I guess Mom will say so if she is still alive. When we are independent enough, we know how to take care of ourselves. I remember there is a quote from Denis Waitley, "The greatest gifts you can give your children are the roots of responsibility and the wings of independence. " Although the price we have to pay for independence is often isolation and solitude, we still choose to rely on ourselves first instead of seeking for assistance from others all the time. We take actions to explore and discover the gap between possibilities and reality and learn from trials and errors. Hope both of us prepare to tackle the bumps on the road of life with the given gift of independence.

Only the born gift is a gift when we can make good use of the gift and the present.

You know I like the word " Believe". Yesterday, I watched the 4D- experience film of “The Polar Express” with a friend in National Science and Technology Museum. The film is about a doubting young boy takes an extraordinary train to the North Pole. Meanwhile, he embarks on a journey of self-discovery. The theme of the discovery is simple but deep as well—the wonders of the life never fade for those who believe. When we believe the beauty of the wonders, there will be piles and piles possibilities. The link between possibilities and reality is the magic spell of “the power of believing.” Only when we believe, “LIE" can become “Reliability" and unbelievable things will be believable.

I need to practice my own power of believing now and explore the wonders of the life. Hope you enjoy your own power of believing.

Helen