I learned about life from an ant farm.When I was seven years old, my family created one.First, we put clean sand in a thin glass box, and then we waited for the live ants to arrive.Shortly after the chilly ants were dropped into the glass structure, they got to work making tunnels.I was amazed that each one knew exactly what to do.After hours of staring, I realized that the ants had assigned jobs.With my mom ' s help, I kept a diary of what happened each day and named the ants. One day a tragedy struck the ant farm.The pages of the diary, still wrinkled where tear drops fell, indicate the depth of the tragedy.'I had put my face so close to the structure that I accidentally tipped it over, caving in all the tunnels.Although the ants survived their earthquake, one by one they began to die.I was terrified as I watched them give up their tunnel-building to carry the bodies to a comer of the farm.My mother reported that the ants were dying of "frustration." They simply could not stand the reality that their tunnels had been destroyed. Although much time has passed, I still think of that ant farm.Mom had hoped it would teach me about the natural world, but it taught me much more.Over the years, I came to realize the ants were a study in the benefits of teamwork.Working together, they were able to create an amazing world for themselves.I also learned that they should be admired for their hard work.Day in and day out, each labored at their task.The ant farm showed that teamwork and perseverance are indeed two key ingredients to success.But there was an even larger lesson that I did not realize until recently: Adversity (, ) is a natural part of life,and must be accepted.Unlike the ants, humans cannot give up when they face disappointment.Unlike the ants, we have to realize that if a tunnel caves in, we just have to build another.Giving up, I say, is not a choice. What made the pages of the diary wrinkled?
The tears. The earthquake The ants. The tragedy.