I recently visited India to meet women with AIDS. Having AIDS is considered as a mark of disgrace and the punishment is abandonment. Most of these women had been 1 by their family.

    What I 2 most is how much they wanted to touch me and be touched as if physical 3 somehow proved their 4.

    I spent time with the dying and saw rows of cots (帆布床). Every cot was 5 except for one in the corner, so I went there, hoping to provide some help. The 6 was a woman in her 30s. She had 7 eyes and was skinny.

    8, I suddenly felt helpless. I had nothing to 9 her. I couldn't save her, either.

    I 10 down and reached out to touch her-and when she 11 my hand, she grabbed it and wouldn't let go. We had been there together for a while when she pointed upward. It took me some time to 12 that she wanted to go up to the roof and sit outside. It was getting 13 and the sun was going down, and no one seemed 14 to take her upstairs.

    I carried her up. She sat on a chair, facing the west and watching the 15 I reminded the workers to 16 her later. Then I had to leave. But she never 17 me.

    Sometimes it's the people you can't help who 18 you the most. Optimism isn't a passive expectation that things will get better. It is a(n) 19 that we can make things better and we can help people, if we don't lose hope and don't look 20.