Sam and I had been paired up through a mentoring (辅导) program when he was a first grader. As a former teacher, I missed making an impact on young people, so as soon as I heard of this program for at-risk school kids, I signed up.
At first, if didn't seem as if the two of us were a good match. Sam hardly looked at me; he barely spoke or smiled. I tried everything to engage him. Nothing worked. Week after week. I'd drive 30 minutes to the school. only to sit with a little boy who didn't seem to care whether I was there or not. I was so frustrated.
One day. I noticed Sam wearing an Iron Man shirt. The next week, I brought a board game (棋盘游戏) featuring Iron Man characters. When I opened the box, his eyes lit up. He dove right in and played the game with me. As I was leaving that day, he looked up at me and said, "See you next week."
He and I built our relationship from there. I would spend his Friday lunch period with him. talking, playing games and just being a friend. Little by little, he opened up to me about his home life. His dad wasn't around. His mother supported the family by working nights at a local factory, so Sam's older sibling took care of him most of the time.
Right then and there, I wished to make sure the two of us always kept in touch—even after the program ended. Now it would be our last Friday lunch together. How could I make sure we had a great meal and he would still remember me?
So I looked for some inspiration for the perfect gift for him. A gift Sam would enjoy holding on to. On Wednesday, I was watching TV and a fast-food restaurant commercial came on, advertising the toy that came in the kids' meals—a small Iron Man toy.
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Suddenly it hit me: Here was the idea I'd looked for!
……
At the school, I sat down with Sam and handed him the bag.
