No one should take anything for granted.

 　　The elderly man was a Filipino-Chinese who had spent half his life overseas. After experiencing ups and downs, he returned home in glory and conceived the idea of ​​helping others and benefiting his neighbors.

　　So, he wrote to the principals of several schools in his hometown, hoping each principal could provide a list of about ten students from which he would select those to sponsor.
　　His family scolded him for his foolishness, arguing that if it was a donation, why make the process so complicated? Wouldn't it be better to have a quicker way, such as through "Project Hope" or "Spring Bud Project," to fulfill his wish cleanly and efficiently?
　　The old man shook his head and said, "My hard-earned money will only go to those children who deserve it." Which children were eligible for sponsorship? Were they children from impoverished families, outstanding students, or students with special talents? No one knew the answer in the old man's heart.
　　The list quickly reached the old man's hands. He had his family buy many books, carefully packaged them, and prepared to send them to the children on the list. His family looked at each other, wondering if such a meager gift was too stingy. Everyone was convinced that the books held a hidden treasure, but they searched high and low and couldn't find any banknotes tucked inside. However, on the first page, they found the old man's handwritten message, signed with his address, name, phone number, and email address.
　　His family was puzzled but unwilling to disobey his wishes, so they sent out the books one by one.
　　As the years passed, the old man often stared blankly at the phone, sighing inexplicably. From falling leaves to drifting snow, no one could fathom what was troubling him.
　　Finally, they understood his heart through a simple New Year's card. It read: "Thank you for sending me the books. Although I don't know you, I will remember you. Happy New Year!" To their surprise, the old man exclaimed excitedly: "I've heard back! I've heard back! I've finally found a child I can sponsor!"
　　His family suddenly understood why the old man had been so melancholy. The books he had sent out were a touchstone; only those with gratitude were worthy of his support.
　　An old man said: Land without water becomes a desert, and a heart without gratitude becomes barren. A person who doesn't know gratitude is destined to be cold and selfish, incapable of caring for others. Even if given sunshine, they will not radiate warmth in return, and they do not deserve love.
　　Indeed, no giving is a given, nothing is obligatory, therefore, no receiving should be met with indifference or complacency; all should be met with gratitude. A flower becomes vibrant and charming with a drop of dew, a blade of grass sways gracefully in a spring breeze, a lake ripples with a fallen leaf, and a heart should quietly bloom with affection for another caring heart.