You can tell a lot about a man by how he treats his dogs.
For many years, I enjoyed living with my dogs, Tilly and Chance. Their 1 was nearly enough to keep my loneliness at bay, Nearly. Last year. I started dating, but with 2. When I first dated Steve, I 3 he had a dog. Molly, and a cat, Flora. While I was 4 that he was an animal lover, I 5 that three dogs were perhaps too many, and my dogs might attack 6 , the cat.
The next week we 7 our dogs together. It was a hot day. When we paused to catch our 8 , Steve got down on one knee. Was he proposing (求婚)? I liked him too. But so 9 ? He poured water from a bottle into his hand and offered it to my dogs. 10 , I began to fall for him.
We 11 to date, though neither of us brought up the future. And then in late November, Tilly had an operation on her 12 . I took the dogs out four times a day, and I worried that Tilly 13 climbing the stairs could reopen the wound. Then Steve 14 his house. All worked 15. The three dogs formed a pack that, with coaching, 16 Flora's space; Steve and I formed a good team 17 for Tilly. We made good housemates.
A year later, much to my 18 this man produced a little box with a ring and proposed to me. He did not kneel (跪) down, nor did I 19 him to. That's only for giving 20 to the dogs that brought us together.
Today I had lunch with Cynthia. As I was waiting for her to arrive, I1 a man saying they needed to get his 2 to pay for something. When they stepped 3, I spoke to the staff and4 to pay their bill. As it turned out it was just for a piece of cake and I asked them to just add it to my5. I handed the cashier a Smile Card, asking him to give it to the man. When the man came back with his money, he was6.
I thought I had done a(n) 7 deed, but there were more surprises to come. Cynthia and I were sitting enjoying our8 when Alex, a worker at the9, approached us. He explained that the couple on table one had paid for our lunch, including the pie. Alex didn't understand why10 I guessed it was just ripples spreading. My random act of11 was zoomed up.
When leaving, I asked Cynthia to 12 a table so that we could keep the 13 of kindness going. Although they all looked14, she chose one. I called Alex over and said I wanted to 15 their lunch. He was beside himself with 16, smiling from ear to ear. I don't think he had ever observed anything like this before.
In the past 7 years I've been able to17 so much generosity and kindness in action. This could be a(n)18 of love. Whatever the reason, it's not a coincidence that this corresponds with my 19 in activities organized by Kind Springs. Deep 20 to you, and the rest of humanity, for being my mirror.
Tooth-fairy nights were always filled with expectation at our house. One such night, our daughter informed us that her loose tooth had finally 1
"How exciting," we told her. "Put it under your pillow 2 the tooth fairy will visit you tonight."
"Okay," our daughter agreed, carefully guarding her newly acquired prized 3 in a loose fist.
We reminded ourselves to check for her tooth once our 4 was over. However, when the film was over we 5 forgot.
The next morning, we were awakened by cries of 6 from our daughter's room. "Mommy! Daddy! Coe and see what the tooth fairy brought me!"
Astonished, my husband and I exchanged 7 glances. Quickly, we 8 our way to our daughter's room and found her sitting quietly on her bed, 9 out the window at a 10. Her eyes shone with pure 11.
As she was absorbed in the rainbow, I 12 under her pillow to "check for any other 13 that she may have overlooked. "
"Are you sure you felt all around when 14 your prize? "I asked, and we watched as she carefully explored underneath her pillow.
"Wow! Two prizes!" she said, proudly waving the dollar bill she "must have overlooked" during her first treasure 15.
My car needed some mechanical work that I could not do myself. Since the garage I had been taking my car to had 1, my friend Dave gave me a recommendation: D's Auto Repair.
I was pleasantly surprised to discover that the owner of D's was a mechanic who had worked on my car several years earlier. 2 he was an employee at a gas station near my house. I knew that his work was good.
I 3 the paperwork for the repair and 4 while D took a phone call from another customer. As I sat there, I looked around the small office to keep myself 5. A framed newspaper article caught my attention. The headline read: "Local Dairy Farmer Kills Whole Herd. " The article was about the 6 of a fifth-generation dairy farmer during the polluted milk scare in Michigan several years earlier. Dairy cows were becoming 7 a disease that was affecting the milk supply. The fifth-generation dairy farmer paid to have all of his cows 8. It was found that out of the entire herd, only a few were infected. Because no one could 9 that the other cows were totally 10, he had the herd killed and buried to make consumers feel rest assured (放心). The farmer's insurance did not cover his 11 because the state had not issued an order for him to get rid of the herd. Asked why he did it, the farmer replied "Because it was the right thing to do."
I asked D why he 12 the article on the wall. I thought that he might be related to or somehow knew the farmer. He said he had never met the man, but that the farmer was a (n) 13 to him and set a standard for integrity, trust and honesty. He said that is how he 14 his Auto Repair business.
I was now doubly 15 by both the farmer and D. The next year, on my recommendation, my son started a nine-month mechanics apprenticeship (学徒) at D's Auto Repair.
Casey and John, a young couple, had been driving from Maryland to North Carolina when their 36-hour nightmare began. They expected the road trip to1five hours, but a massive snowstorm led to ice related accidents, and the state closed a 50-mile stretch of the2for safety reasons.
With traffic3and no clear information on when the highway would reopen, some drivers abandoned their cars and set out on foot. Others, like Casey and Joe, turned off the4to save gas and seated themselves in their vehicles. They tried their best to stay5.
A cold night in hunger and little sleep left them feeling6. After 21 hours of suffering, Casey noticed a bread delivery truck among the waiting vehicles. On a sudden inspiration, she7Schmidt Baking Company, the owner of the truck. She left a8on the company' s customer service line, asking if the truck driver could share the baked goods with troubled drivers. She didn't know if they would take her request9, but she wanted to try.
Her idea worked. Incredibly, Schmidt CEO Chuck10returned Casey's call within 20 minutes. He asked her to hand her phone to the company truck driver, Ron, and then directed Ron to11loaves of bread to the people on the highway. Chuck said he was12to offer any help he could.
Casey, John and Ron were excited to pass out the bread along the13highway to as many people as possible. Among those to14the food were elderly passengers and families with children. They all felt incredibly thankful for the offering of food and some15after so many hours waiting in the cold.
When I was in school, I participated in an undergraduate internship(本科实习) in a hospital. There I was largely1for visiting specific hospital patients.
On one particular2, I entered a darkened room to find an elderly man lying in the bed. I 3thought he was sleeping, but when I moved closer to the bed, I realized that he was awake. He 4wanted to communicate something, but I couldn't 5what he was saying. He obviously didn't want me to leave, but I felt so 6and uncomfortable that I left the room after several minutes.
The next time I was at the hospital, I was 7to make follow-up visits with the same list of patients. I expected my time with that old man to be just as 8as the last time……if he was still live.
As I arrived at the room, I noticed he was sitting up in the bed and much better. I introduced myself and explained that I had come by before, 9I was certain he didn't remember me at all.
He 10me immediately, saying, "I remember you. You were the angel that gave me 11in my darkest hour!" I would have thought his memory was delirious(精神错乱的), but he then accurately 12enough details of our first meeting to remove any 13of his clarity. I was so amazed that, once again, I didn't know how to 14. I did absolutely nothing to help this man... 15showing up. I may never be able to explain it but somehow he found in me something he needed at a (n) 16 point in his life, just because I was there.
I have thought about this 17often over the past 25 years. I has 18the way I see life, the way I see myself, and the way I see others. It makes me want to offer whatever 19can to others. Obviously, we can't know the impact our actions, or even just our 20, will have on life.
Sitting in the classroom, I felt confused.
Our teacher pointed at the blackboard and gave us instructions. Looking around, I watched as my classmates 1 their heads and started writing. A wave of 2 washed over me-I couldn't read the board, for I couldn't see clearly. It didn't 3 at primary school because my teachers always read aloud what they were writing. But now, I was expected to read by myself.
Mum took me to a(n) 4 . I was diagnosed with a terrible sight problem. I was 5 blind.
However, despite all the difficulties, I'd amazingly 6 to reach the age of 13! As a kid living on a farm, I was always falling over objects. I could only 7 the outlines of things and contrasts between different shades. I was given reading 8 but they didn't help much.
9 to let my diagnosis hold me back, I continued doing everything I loved, including milking the cows. Over the years, I've 10 lovely family holidays, but sometimes felt like my families were being too 11 to me. So I was thrilled when I heard about a travel company that takes those who are blind or have poor 12 Aussie adventures without families' company. 13 , I booked myself onto a trip to the 14 . It was amazing to appreciate places, such as the beach and seaside theme parks, with 15 who were just like me. And the incredible guides were great at 16 us through all the way while making sure we had a fun and 17 time. Since then, I've travelled with them a lot. While we can't see the sights like others, our 18 take us to awesome places. I don't want people to feel sorry for me. I'm so lucky to have a wonderful family and lots of 19 .
Life is 20 —you don't need vision to "see" that.
My car slid easily into the school lane. I turned around and glanced at the back seat as my ten-year-old daughter1. My daughter's words started to spill. "Momma, Jenny2all the girls in the class to attend her birthday party except for Heather and me. I 3 I was her friend too." The air was filled with her 4.
As tears ran down my little girl's face, I felt 5. As an introvert (内向的人)，I often breathe a sigh of 6 when I am not invited to a large social gathering. I prefer 7 with a few friends who get me.8, I don't extend my preferences to my daughter's social life. Since the age of four, rather than 9 just a few, I've invited all of her classmates to her birthday parties, because I am 10 to the need for young girls and boys to feel 11.
I understand that at some point all of us are excluded from something and that this is a 12 children will eventually learn. But why does it have to happen when they are so13? As soon as we got home, I hugged my still upset daughter and wiped away her tears. As I 14 her, I thought of her own approaching birthday party. The invitation would go out to 15of her classmates.
Once, there was a small, unkept and rather poor village. People had to work hard to 1 themselves. Johnny lived in a wooden hut with his old grandma. He had dreamed to move to a big city he had never 2 before.
All of Johnny's friends had left for a long 3 in big cities. Only Johnny, who was 4 all summer long, and couldn't even go to the nearest city for a moment.
Johnny 5 walked into the hut and sank onto the muddy brown sofa. "Are you okay, dear?" His grandma asked. "No!" Johnny 6. "My friends are all taking trips to other cities, even countries, and I'm 7 in this place!" Johnny's Grandma was 8. "Johnny," she began. Immediately, Johnny interrupted. "I'm going to my room!" He then bolted (冲) towards his room.
One day, Johnny 9 up. He walked outside to look at the golden sun 10 over the horizon, standing firm against the ocean and blue sky. Soon after, his grandma went over to stand near Johnny. "Listen, Johnny," she 11. "Look at the sky and the ocean. Aren't they splendid? You won't 12 them in a city, would you?" Just then, a few wolf cubs (幼崽) could be 13 at the end of the village. "See those wolf cubs? Aren't they so 14? I don't think you would find them crawling around a big city." This made Johnny 15 how beautiful life is, and he's lucky to even live in a village.
It was Christmas 1961. I was teaching in a small town where my third graders eagerly 1 the great day of gifts giving.
Each day all the children except one girl produced some new wonder to be hung from the ceiling. Through it all she remained 2, watching from afar, seemingly miles away. I wondered what had happened to this once so 3 but now so suddenly withdrawn child. I hoped the festivities would 4 her. But nothing did. We made cards and gifts for everyone. As my gift to them, I made each of my students a little bag. Of course, I knew they had each made something for me.
The day of gift-giving finally came. We oohed and aahed over our handiwork as the presents were 5. Through it all, she sat quietly watching. I had made a special bag for her, red and green with white lace, hoping very much to see her 6. She opened the package so slowly and carefully. I waited but she 7. I had not cracked the wall of 8 she had built around herself.
After school the children left in little groups. She lingered when I sat down to catch my breath. 9, she came to me with outstretched hands, 10 a small white box, unwrapped and slightly soiled, as though it had been held many times by 11, childish hands. "For me?" I asked with a weak smile. She said nothing, but nodded. I opened it 12. There inside, a shiny glass marble hung from a faded golden chain. In a flash I knew — she had made it for her mother who died just three weeks before and would never again hear her childish joys or sorrows.
She took the chain in both her hands, reached forward, and 13 the simple clasp(扣环) at the back of my neck. I looked down at the gift, then back at the giver. I 14 it when I whispered, "Oh, Maria, it is so beautiful. She would have loved it." She stumbled into my arms and we wept together. And for that brief moment I became her mother, for she had given me the greatest gift of all: 15.
