Paul was my little brother, and he was special. He was different from me because he sat in a wheelchair, and he was blind. Lots of times when we walked with Paul, other kids came over and asked us why he was in his chair and why he couldn't s{#blank#}1{#/blank#}. They thought he was different because he had his own school bus and had to go to a special school. But that's not really the reason. Paul was different for the things just our family knew about-only we knew the s{#blank#}2{#/blank#} that made him special.

    Paul helped me hear small sounds. Every time I was with him, I'd have to be q{#blank#}3{#/blank#}to hear the flying birds and the talking trees he heard.

    Paul helped me exercise. When we went for a walk, we'd often go uphill. When I pushed his chair all the way to the woods at the t{#blank#}4{#/blank#}, I was really getting my exercise!

    Paul h{#blank#}5{#/blank#} ever complained. He went along with whatever the rest of us wanted to do. One time when he had a fever, he got uncomfortable, but he never shouted or fought or asked me to switch the TV channel.

    Sometimes Paul let me put things in, his hand. We played a kind of guessing game. I put different toys there for him to f{#blank#}6{#/blank#}He was always surprised when I let him hold something new.

    Paul was my friend. He couldn't talk to me like most of my friends, and he couldn't run outside to play. But he was there for all the peaceful times, and he had the best smile in the world.

    I was l{#blank#}7{#/blank#} to grow up with him as his sister. He helped me to realize that there is a good side to every situation, if we simply make the choice to find it.