【推荐1】Last Saturday, when I cleaned up my house, I found a box simply marked “Nick”. I felt excited upon seeing the _________ of my eldest son, who now lives far away. _________, I spent hours looking through the box and I _________ an envelope, which said “For Nick to read when he is grown”. I have a tradition of writing_________ to my kids at different times in their lives. This _________ letter was dated Mother’s Day fifteen years ago, when he was in kindergarten (幼儿园). And _________ it brought back memories of a day when I _________ what a truly selfless and kind child I had.

You gave me the best _________ I’ve ever received today! I know you have been saving money for weeks to buy the _________ you wanted for a long time. Yesterday you ____________ me to take you to a nearby store. You ____________ me as I looked at things, and ____________ I liked something, you would ask how much it cost. I liked a lovely little teddy bear a lot. You ____________ that you loved it too and ____________ the bear all by yourself. Then you said you were ____________ because you had no ____________ to buy me a present and would just make me something for Mother’s Day. This morning you woke me up with a package. You were so ____________ and excited! There inside was the little bear. You ____________ your toy for me!

You are truly ____________ and I am honored to be your mom.

Love,

Mom

I smiled as I read the letter and I ____________ it to Nick. I hope reading it will make him remember how cute he has been and how happy I feel to be his mother.

【推荐2】I lost my mom last month and it’s been really tough. I _______ to my hometown to pay my respects and say my _______. After spending a few days with my _______ making arrangements, it was time to _______ . I boarded the plane to find a young man _______ in my seat. He apologized graciously(优雅地) when I _______ him to move.

When the plane took off, something about leaving the place where I grew up and realizing that my mom was no longer there _______ me down. As I watched the ground growing more and more _______ through the window, my eyes filled with tears. That same young man asked me if I was OK and said he was there if I needed to talk._______, we had a three-hour flight sitting in the same row.

His words made me feel better. Honestly, I felt I wasn’t __________ on that plane traveling hundreds of miles across the country. Although I never took him up on his offer, I was __________by a stranger who knew that I may need someone in that __________. I was grateful that the young guy was willing to __________ me all of his time on the plane.

That moment has made me actively seek ways to serve and __________ others. The things may be small, but they may be __________ to that person.

【推荐2】When we married in 2007, we promised to love each other “in sickness and in health”. Over the years I shared my_________ with you. But with my full schedule and then a son, Jack, in 2008, we were very_________. Then in December 2015, a big fall _________you with stroke (中风) and speech difficulties. “Whatever, I’m here,” I comforted you. It meant that life needed a _________.

“Is now the time to realize our dream to start fostering (领养), at last?” I asked you. “Let’s go for it,” you said. I quit my job and_________a fostering charity with bases across the country. “My husband is_________. Does that rule us out?” I asked the clerk. “Not_________,” I was told. Eight months after filling in the first forms, we finally got the_________news.

In July 2020, we_________our now 15-year-old foster daughter, Millie. She was so __________that the first day as we all sat in the garden, especially nervous around men. But you__________her over. Soon she was__________along with us at your jokes! Meanwhile, we made a__________while I did her hair or when we walked our dog. With time, Millie started to see our house as her home. Now, we’re on the path to __________ more foster kids.

Thank you for helping me share the love we’ve built with__________who need it most. We’ve turned a difficult time into something beautiful.

【推荐1】“BARBARA,” my husband, Bill, announced, “your birthday present is in the freezer.” _________ , I went to the freezer—and broke out _________ . Inside was a well-wrapped ice cream container. My _________ of ice cream is well-known in our home.

Then, _________ the wrappings, I laughed even harder. Instead of ice cream, the container _________ four large, hand-crafted wooden numbers. Bill had heard me say months earlier that I’d always wanted easy-to-read house numbers. I was _________ . The fun of his double _________ was what I loved.

The gift _________ me of a conversation I’d overheard at a department store. A woman was _________ a gift from her husband. “Wouldn’t you think that after 20 years George would know I never wear gold?” she joked—but I noted a bit of __________ .

I couldn’t help __________ the two styles of gift giving. George had __________ spent several hundred dollars on jewelry his wife didn’t __________ . Bill had spent perhaps $20, but, thinking carefully, he had chosen a gift that was just __________ for me. This is what gift-giving is all about. The excellence of a gift lies in its appropriateness rather than its __________ . Choosing a gift needn't be a chore(琐事); it can be fun for both the receiver and the giver.

【推荐3】I realize that we all live in a world where mutual (相互的) trust is in short supply.

Yesterday I was walking along a busy street when I noticed a young man selling toys and other little things. Usually I would _________ it and hurry past such vendors (小贩) before being approached to buy something. But I noticed this young man was _________, so I stood for some time, without walking on, to _________ how he sold his things.

Soon a young mother with a small child _________ and the little child was _________ by a toy. The young mother asked the _________ and it was only one dollar. The young mom took out some money and said she was giving him 10 dollars and wanted the _________ back. I was wondering how he would _________ it. He told the young mom to put the money in a plastic bag hanging around his neck and take out whatever change he _________ her. She then put her hand into the bag and took out the balance.

I __________ that this young man’s whole mode of __________ depended on trusting people not to cheat him. I was so __________ by how this young man trusted people that I __________ a toy from him that I didn’t need.

He said it cost a dollar and I__________ told him that I had only 10 dollars. He told me to do the __________ thing. So I put my 10 dollars in his bag and then put my hand in, __________ I didn’t take any change. __________ I walked down the street, I __________ another kid with his father walking so I gave him the toy. I walked on, __________ the kid and his father would have a smile on their face that day.

I kept thinking the world would be a better place if we could all learn to __________ people more, like the young street vendor.