1 . When she was 86, Mom moved to our city. My husband, Kevin, and I found a lovely apartment for her. I was happy to help take care of her _______ she arrived.

The day after she moved in, she called me to _______ about the food at the facility. “The pizza was like rubber. I couldn’t _______ it.” “Mom, you’re complaining to me. Wouldn’t it make more sense to tell someone who can _______ the problem?” We hung up. This was only her second day here! And week after week, Mom found more to complain about.

When with my friend Beth, I spent 20 minutes sharing how Mom’s attitude _______ me. “She seems _______. After everything Kevin and I do for her, all we hear is what she doesn’t like.” As the words spilled from my lips, I realized that I’d developed the same _______ of complaining that annoyed me so much in Mom.

I decided to keep a better watch on my _______. Things went fine for a few weeks. But soon I felt powerless to _______ by myself and couldn’t help complaining to Beth about Mom’s ________ again.

A few days later, I received a journal from my friend Torry. On the first page he had written, “Jeanette, I use such a journal every day to ________ things I’m thankful for.” I wrote three things I was ________ for. Contentment filled my heart. Maybe this was it. It was a joyous ________ that helped me overcome the complaining — gratitude.

Over the next few months, as I continued, I noticed little things I’d ________. Life was handing out gifts continuously, including Mom, complaints and all. I couldn’t change her; I could only ________ her.

3 . My mom has been and will always be my biggest inspiration. She is a single parent of eight, and I have no idea how she survived. Throughout the years, my mom has _________ many hardships which could easily _________ someone with little determination.

Even when doctors _________ if my little sister Mary would live to see the age of 2, my mom never lost hope. After _________ visits to countless doctors, my mom decided to bring her home and make the best of my sister’s life _________ giving in to the bad results from different hospitals.

Mary’s frequent hospital visits definitely upset her, but my mom never showed _________ of weakness. Her _________ helped Mary through every tough time. No matter how confused Mary was, my mom always made her feel as if there was nothing to worry about, which _________ Mary to live the life of a normal child.

_________, things began to become worse. Around her 6th birthday, Mary lost sight at the age of 5. The doctor said that it could __________ cure. The whole family were heartbroken and helpless. Once again, my mom found a way to __________ us all, making us know that she had a strong support system. She __________ her job and stayed with Mary day and night, which helped contribute to her recovery __________.

My mom gets us to realize that no matter how __________ our life may appear, we are equipped with a very strong __________ system. We are a family that will always be there for one another.

6 . Sometimes the people who give you warmth are strangers. They brighten your day or your life. Snow makes everything white. But a ________ on a cold winter morning made my heart ________.

For several days snow fell heavily. It lay many inches thick on the ground. My home is not far from the Hill Park station. Every morning I ________ to the station and caught the eight o’clock train. When I got out of the train, I was about to ________ out of the railway station when my eyes got ________ on one old guy. The morning cold winter ________ were piercing (刺入) through my woolen ________. I felt it cutting through my flesh and bones．

I was walking quickly when I ________ the old man wasn’t wearing anything on his ________ nor scarf around his neck, ________he was sitting in freezing winds. I don’t know how he was going to ________ those cold winters.

I went to him and asked the reason for not wearing any hat. He gave me a strange ________ and said nothing. I got the sign that probably he felt embarrassed about the question that I asked him. So I ________off my woolen hat and handed it to him. I told him to keep wearing it. He then smiled. I smiled ________ and left. Actually, after you do a favor or offer a convenience, you will be deeply ________ by others. We said nothing, but we all enjoyed the warmth, friendship and generosity from each other.

7 . Dave and I had just arrived home from his chemo-treatment (化疗) appointment. I should have noticed him_______ the door. When I opened it, he fell sideways out of the car onto the walkway. He lay there, too weak to_______ himself. I rushed to help, but he weighed close to two hundred pounds and was just _______. The slightest bump (碰撞) caused terrible pain, so this_______would be more than he could bear. I called “Dave.” He didn’t_______, and I wondered if he had passed out. I looked around in all directions_______.

Just then, a man_______ , pushing a baby carriage, with two children walking beside him. The man_______the baby carriage safely, gestured the children to wait and stepped forward. He lifted Dave’s arm over his shoulder and put his own arm around Dave’s_______to stabilize him. The two_______ for the house. Into the sitting room, slowly and gently, the man_______Dave onto our little sofa. He smiled as Dave tried to_______him and said he was glad to help.

He walked back out to the street where the children stood waiting for him. The little group slowly_______. There, in the shining sun, I watched, with_______. They were just like angles, emerging from nowhere and helping me_______ .

8 . Five years ago, my friend Anna’s mom was diagnosed (诊断) with breast cancer. And the doctors encouraged her three daughters to be _________ as well. Anna, in her 40s, did indeed receive a breast cancer diagnosis. Now facing _________ and worry. Anna and her mom, Elizabeth, depended on each other. Finding _________ through their love and faith.

_________ Anna went for treatments, her mom’s condition worsened as the cancer _________ through the body. Elizabeth died, surrounded by family. Anna was _________ by the loss of her mother—the woman who taught her to be _________ and courageous in life and death. But she continued her cancer treatments guided by her mother’s _________.

Recently Anna posted a video on Facebook _________ the good news she got from her doctor. After five years of __________, Anna was cancer free. She shared her news with a big smile and a __________ heart.

She was sad in not being able to share this __________ with her mother. But Anna knew that if it hadn’t been for her mother’s diagnosis, she would not have __________ a doctor in the first place.

In her post, Anna recalled how the presence of love brought comfort when her mother died and gave her __________ and hope as she fought against her own cancer. Every day Anna thinks of her mom and how she helped __________ Anna’s life.

9 . I’ve had the opportunity to look after my mother a lot recently. I want to _______ the experience, in hopes that others can be _______.

A couple of days ago, my mom had to have an operation to _______ a tumor (肿块), which, _______, is right on her face. With all the _______ I could gather, I stayed with her throughout the operation, and then continued to stay by her bedside for the next two days, as she _______ in the hospital.

She seemed in good _______, despite the pains from the operation. I really tried to keep her _______. We talked happily about funny memories, and I did everything I could to put a _______ on her face.

After the doctor said it was okay for her to return home, I took her home, and have since been taking care of her in whatever ________ way I can - cooking her food, doing housework, and changing her bandages (绷带).

Like a lot of mothers, she ________ that she should do all these things on her own. And of course, I’m sure she can... but I won’t ________ her. I really think it’s good for us to help people close to us, even if they demand to do things on their own and ________ our help.

I’ve learned and grown so much from the opportunity to ________ my mother, and I wish everyone the opportunity to help someone ________ you.