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    When my son, Mark, was in the third grade, he saved all his pocket money for over three months to buy holiday presents for those he loved. The third Saturday in December Mark said that he had made his list and had twenty dollars in his pocket.

    I drove him to a nearby supermarket. Mark picked up a hand basket and went off on his own while I waited patiently reading a book in the car. It took Mark over 45 minutes to choose his presents. The clerk rang in his purchases( 所购物品) as I politely looked the other way. Mark kept within his budget(预算)and reached into his pocket for his money. It was not there! There was a hole in his pocket, but no money. Mark stood in the middle of the store holding his basket, tears rolling down his cheeks. His whole body was shaking with his sobs. Then an amazing thing happened. A customer in the store came up to Mark. She knelt down and took him in her arms.

     “You would do me the greatest favour if you let me replace(补还)your money,” said the woman. “It would be the most wonderful present you could ever give me. I only ask that one day you pass it on. One day, when you are grown-up, I would like you to find someone you can help. When you help this other person, I know you will feel as good about it as I do now.”

    Mark took the money, dried his tears and ran to the checkout counter as fast as he could. I think we all enjoyed our gifts that year almost as much as Mark enjoyed giving them to us.

    I would like to say “thank you” to that very kind woman. I would like to tell her that four years later Mark went house to house collecting blankets and clothes for the homeless people in the Oakland fire－and he thought of her. And I want to promise her that Mark will never forget to keep passing it on.