It's a sad reality that many of us find ourselves just too busy to contribute to our communities. For a long time, I, too, believed it cost too much in time, money and1to make a real difference. But all that changed when I2my good-deed-a-day project.
My daughter, Emily, was my primary3. I wanted to show her we could do little things to help others and be happy.
The first week, I wasn't sure if I could4it. I surfed the Internet for ideas. One day, I5 a blind man in the subway station. He smiled as he thanked me. Another day, I brought flowers from my garden to a local nursing home. . . I could only hope I was arousing6in others.
Luckily, after just a few days I found it easier than I'd expected. I knew I was making a real good 7.
Every evening at the dinner table, I 8that day's good deed to Emily. Emily began copying what I'd started. On a walk home from school, she marched over to a neighbor's pot of geraniums(天竺葵), which had toppled(摇晃) in the wind，and set it9. "That was my good deed for the day!" she yelled. Another day, she helped me collect10from our neighbors for the food bank. We dropped off the food . 11we drove away, Emily announced 12that she wanted to work there one day.
By the last week, I knew I'd changed. At first, I hadn't been entirely 13that I could do a good deed every day. Now it was practically second 14. I felt a greater responsibility to take action when I saw a need, 15looking the other way. I felt as though I'd awakened, somehow.
