宾夕法尼亚州的天气非常寒冷了。
我不记得还有哪个冬天是这般寒冷，但我敢肯定有过比这更恶劣的天气。
尽管日照的时间每天都长几分钟了，但还是容易找个借口不出门，除非是万不得已。但我还是经常不得不逼着自己出门去做完某些事情。
与我交谈的人都感到情绪欠佳，虽然性质和程度各不相同。他们说他们“不舒服”，每年的这段时间都感觉不好。
昨天我带着我的两只狗在外面时，天实在太冷了，我的鼻子和脸被冻得僵硬，耳朵刺痛。
当然，里基和露西对此毫不在意。它们习惯每天都得出去找个合适的地方跳跳跑跑，不管有多冷，还是多热。
所以我就等着它们。
但是今天的心情有些不同。虽然很冷，可我一想到这刺骨的寒冷实际有多么美好时，我顿感精神焕发。
这时太阳破云而出，我脑中闪现出夏日烈日炎炎的情景。我想起下午站在高温下，汗水不断从我的脑门淌下，炽热的太阳直射在我脸上。那一刻，我提醒自己，要是在寒冬里，我多么希望能享有那高温。
没错。
在大多数时候，我对生活中的两个极端都不感到舒服。我总是惧怕它们，并且一直在抱怨。
但是今天，我对生活中的两极油然而生感激之情。没有生活中的两个极端，我永远不会对顺心的日子心存感激。没有极端，生活会是枯燥无味的。
正是被推到两极之一时，我们才体会到居中的美好。健康出了问题，提醒我们应该更注意调整生活起居。家庭财政的极端情况提醒我们在收入颇丰时，应未雨绸缪，为窘迫的日子做打算。
所以就让寒冷来吧，这样，我更能欣赏酷热。
让我在烈日炎炎的夏天大汗淋漓吧，这样我就会乞求能有一捧雪可以在脸上搓揉。
我得出结论：任何时候对自己的处境我总会找个理由感到不快。
过去，不管是热是冷，身体是好是坏，是有钱还是没钱，我心里想要的总是与我当时的处境有所不同。
我不会再这样了。当下，我要开始找一个理由高兴起来，哪怕就是由于这么一个简单的事实――我活着。
我已经厌倦了“不舒服”。
The Apple Tree
A long time ago， there was a huge apple tree. A little boy loved to come and lay around it every day. He climbed to the tree top， ate the apples， took a nap under the shadow... He loved the tree and the tree loved to play with him.
Time went by... the little boy had grown up and he no longer played around the tree every day. One day， the boy came back to the tree and he looked sad. “Come and play with me，” the tree asked the boy. “I am no longer a kid， I don’t play around trees anymore.” The boy replied， “I want toys. I need money to buy them.” “Sorry， but I don’t have money...but you can pick all my apples and sell them. So， you will have money.” The boy was so excited. He grabbed all the apples on the tree and left happily. The boy never came back after he picked the apples. The tree was sad.
One day， the boy returned and the tree was so excited. “Come and play with me，” the tree said. “I don’t have time to play. I have to work for my family. We need a house for shelter. Can you help me？” “Sorry， but I don’t have a house. But you can chop off my branches to build your house.” So the boy cut all the branches off the tree and left happily. The tree was glad to see him happy but the boy never came back since then. The tree was again lonely and sad.
One hot summer day， the boy returned and the tree was delighted. “Come and play with me！” the tree said. “I am sad and getting old. I want to go sailing to relax myself. Can you give me a boat？” “Use my trunk to build your boat. You can sail far away and be happy.” So the boy cut the tree trunk to make a boat. He went sailing and never showed up for a long time. The tree was happy， but it was not true.
Finally， the boy returned after he left for so many years. “Sorry， my boy. But I don’t have anything for you anymore. No more apples for you...” the tree said.
“I don’t have teeth to bite，” the boy replied.
“No more trunk for you to climb on.”
“I am too old for that now，” the boy said.
“I really can’t give you anything... the only thing left is my dying root，” the tree said with tears.
“I don’t need much now， just a place to rest. I am tired after all these years.” The boy replied.
“Good！ Old tree root is the best place to lean on and rest. Come， Come sit down with me and rest.” The boy sat down and the tree was glad and smiled with tears...
This is a story of everyone. The tree is our parent. When we were young， we loved to play with Mom and Dad... When we grown up， we left them， and only came to them when we need something or when we are in trouble. No matter what， parents will always be there and give everything they could to make you happy. You may think that the boy is cruel to the tree but that’s how all of us are treating our parents.
