Last Friday，6-year-old Landon Johnson went to the RiverTown Crossings Mall in Grandville with his family. While there, the boy and his cousins took turns chatting with Santa, sharing their Christmas desires.

After telling the man in red he wanted a Wii, a toy dinosaur and a remote control car, Landon hopped off Santa’s lap to rejoin his family. But a few moments later, he raced back to Santa’s side: he’d forgotten to tell him something important. Specifically, Landon shared his worry with Santa that his autism（自闭症）would land him on the “naughty list”.

His mom, Naomi Johnson, explained to WOOD-TV this week that Landon is often told he's “naughty” by people who mistake his autism for bad behavior. “You get the stares when you're at the grocery store if he's too loud,” Johnson said. “He's been told by other people before, 'You don't need to be so naughty,' or 'Why are you naughty? '."

Johnson says Santa took the time to listen to Landon's worries，and held the boy's hands all the while.“Santa sat him next to him and took Landon's hands in his and started rubbing them, calming them down. Santa asked Landon if it bothered him, having Autism? Landon said yes, sometimes. Then Santa told him it shouldn't. It shouldn’t bother him to be who he is,” Johnson said.

Landon told Santa that he sometimes “gets in trouble at school and it's hard for people to understand that he has autism"，but that he's “not a naughty boy”.

“You know I love you and the reindeer（驯鹿）love you and it's OK. You're a good boy"，Santa told WOOD-TV about the chat with Landon. ''You're a good boy, you know.”

Johnson said she was incredibly moved by Santa's thoughtful words. “This stranger in a red suit told my son the same message I’ve been trying to get through to him for a while now一that he's special and I love him just the way he was made", the mom told Today.com.“Seeing Landon's face light up in that moment was just incredible. I couldn't stop crying. He was the real Santa Claus.”

When she moved the covering cloth to look upon his tiny face, she was shocked. The doctor turned quickly and looked out of the tall hospital window. The baby had been born without ears.

Time proved that the baby’s hearing was perfect. When he rushed home from school one day and threw himself into his mother’s arms, she sighed, knowing that his life was to be full of heart-breaks for his imperfect appearance.

He grew up, handsome for his misfortune and popular with his fellow students. He might have been class monitor, but for that. He developed a gift, a talent for literature and music. 

Two years went by. One day, his father said to the son, “You’re going to the hospital, son. Mother and I have someone who will donate the ears you need. But it’s a secret.” The operation was a brilliant success, and a new person turned up. His talents blossomed into genius, and his school and college became a series of success. Later he married and entered the diplomatic service.

One day, he urged his father, “Who gave so much for me? I must know! I could never do enough for him.”

“I do not believe you could,” said the father, “but the agreement was that you are not to know... not yet.”

The years kept their secret, but the day did come--- one of the darkest days that a son must endure. He stood with his father over his mother’s casket (棺材). Slowly, tenderly, the father reached out a hand and raised the thick, reddish-brown hair to show that the mother had no outer ears.

  “Mother said she was glad she never let her hair be cut, ” he whispered gently, “and nobody ever thought Mother less beautiful, did they?”

Real beauty lies not in the physical appearance, but in the heart. Real treasure lies not in what can be seen, but in what cannot be seen. Real love lies not in what is done and known, but in what is done and not known.

This summer I volunteered at the China Conservation and Research Center for the Giant Panda in Sichuan and had a once in a lifetime chance to get within three feet .Born and raised in America, very rarely had I ever seen a panda. I had expected this moment ever since my mother told me that we would be volunteering at the Center.

When my cousin and I arrived at the Center and received our uniforms and gloves, any nervousness I had felt during the car ride quickly faded and changed into excitement. Our first task was to clean up the panda’s cage. Although it was a boring job，it was interesting to be in the panda's living area and see how big the animals really are. Pandas actually fear heat, so the Center provides each animal with an ice block to keep it comfortable.

When it was time to feed the pandas，the keeper gave us five pieces of food each, which consisted of bamboo，carrots, or bread to feed to a one-year-old male. Never having dreamed of being so close to a panda，I was delighted by the action and after listening to it munch (用力嚼) on the food, hurriedly offered a piece more.

Next, we watched a video on China’s goal to help giant pandas back into the wild. It explained China's efforts to raise them to increase the population, and detailed measures taken to train the pandas to enter their nature reserve once again.

The workers had to spend lots of time teaching the animals how to live in nature and guaranteeing their safety at all times. I am grateful to have been able to volunteer for a day and will treasure the experience for the rest of my life.

 My friend Robert started a new job this week and he's been in the training class for two days. The employer has a very strict dressing cede－dark blue shirts and pants.

   On the first day, an older gentleman in his class did not have the proper clothes and he was strictly told that he would be fired if he didn't have the right clothes the next day. He explained, "Sir, I had been told about this, but because of my larger size, it's sometimes difficult to find the right clothing for a price I can afford."

   Last night, Robert and I decided that this old man shouldn't lose the chance of work simply because he couldn't afford the clothes. I had some cash on hand and Robert took it with him this morning just in case it was needed.

   When training started this morning, the trainer was ready to fire the older gentleman. "You have 10 minutes to be in proper clothes," he was told. At this point, Robert spoke up and asked if he could have 10 minutes to get him the clothes. He then ran out to the store and bought the proper－sized pants and a shirt; he returned with both and gave them to the older man.

   The older gentleman began to cry and told him that he couldn't accept such a gift from a stranger. Robert told him he had to because he had lost the receipt (收据) and couldn't return them－a little white lie. The pants were a perfect fit, the shirt was a bit tight but he was able to keep his job.

   "My wife and I tried to gather together some money last night, but we didn't have enough to buy the clothes," he told Robert. "It's unbelievable to me that a person would do such a thing for only knowing me a day!"

   More unbelievable is how good it has made Robert and me feel to do this.