First Snow Fall

Making Friends
I used to be very shy.I would not go up to someone that I did not know and say hello.
I was afraid that people would not want to talk to me.I have changed.
I have become less shy.I have learned that making friends is easy to do.All you have to do is say hello.Most people will respond to a smile and a friendly hello.People will begin to talk to you about little things in their lives.You will soon realize that you have something in common with that person.Whenever I start talking to a new person I find that there is some interest that we share.Maybe we know some of the same people, or we went to the same school.Often we find that we like the same music or the same movies.It is easy to have a conversation with someone once you find a topic that you both can relate to.
The most important part to making friends is to listen to what the other person says.
If you take an interest in them, they are sure to take an interest in you.
I have learned many things from meeting people.I have had many fascinating conversations, and I have made a lot of good friends.One day a girl came up to me and said that she was lost.She couldn't find her way to her English class.I said that I was going to that class too.I told her to come with me.We began talking, and we became very good friends.
That was a few years ago.She is still one of my best friends.Just think, if she hadn't been lost we might never have become friends.
Getting Old
My grandfather is getting old.When I was younger, my grandfather would carry me on his shoulders, and we would go for a walk.Now, my grandfather cannot put me on his shoulders.He has a hard time walking, and he uses a cane.My grandfather used to have lots of hair.Now he is bald.His skin doesn't look like it used to.It is more wrinkled.
My grandfather takes more naps than he used to.He goes to the doctor's, and he takes pills for his heart.I love my grandfather very much.I don't like the fact that he is getting older, but my mother says that growing older is just a fact of life.
She says that we will all get older.Sometimes my grandfather forgets things.
My mother says to be patient.I am patient.I try to help my grandfather as much as I can.
I sometimes go for walks with him.I help him to walk when he has trouble.
I cheer him up if I think he might be sad.I get things for him, and I even read to him at night.
He used to read to me when I was little.Now his eyesight is bad, and he can't see very well.
My grandfather tells me stories about when he was a boy.The world was a very different place then he tells me.His stories are interesting.
Sometimes I wish we could trade places for a day so that I would know what it felt like to
be old.My grandfather doesn't complain.He jokes about his old bones.I spend a lot of time with my grandfather.I hope that he is around for a long time.
Time
Time is something that you should never waste.Once an hour is gone, it is gone forever.
You should make the most of every minute.Time is a funny thing.
Some days go by so slowly.Those are the days that you do things that aren't fun.
When you are having fun, time just flies by.Time is made up of different units.
Seconds turn into minutes.Minutes turn into hours.Hours turn into days.
Days turn into weeks.Weeks turn into months, and months turn into years.We measure our lives by time.We are very concerned with time.Even little children are very conscious of time.Little children often want to appear older, so if you ask a three-year-old how old he is, he will often say three and a half.Many of our sayings are based on time."Give me a minute.""Hold on a second.""I'm running out of time.""Time's up.""I just want an hour of your time."All of these are common things that we say, and they're all based on time.We are a society that lives by the clock.We almost all wear watches, and we glance at our watches a lot.Time is something that we can't see, but it is a big factor in our lives.
How many times a day do you look at a watch or a clock?I bet you'd be surprised at just how many times you do.
Amy
Amy was a girl who came into our classroom.She had many things wrong with her.
Amy was in a wheelchair, and she couldn't talk.She couldn't make her hands and feet do what she wanted them to do.We wondered why Amy would even be in our class, because she really couldn't do much of anything.Amy had a teaching assistant who had to stay with her all the time.One day the teaching assistant got called away.I had to look after Amy.
I was afraid to look after her.I really didn't know what to do.I sat beside Amy, and I smiled at her.She smiled back at me.I never realized before that she had such a nice smile.
Amy made a noise.It seemed like she wanted a crayon that was lying beside her.
I put the crayon into her hand.She had trouble holding it, but eventually she got the crayon into her hand well enough so that she could make marks on the paper that was on the tray in front of her.Amy spent a long time making marks on the paper.
She tried so hard to create whatever it was that she was drawing.She worked for a long time.I just watched her, and I gave her a lot of credit for not giving up when she obviously had so many problems.When she was finally done, she picked up the paper with great difficulty.With a look of pride on her face, she handed me the picture.
It was for me.I was very touched that she spent all that time drawing something for me.
I thanked Amy and smiled at her.I told her I loved the picture.