Love Is Blind: The Magic of Tabby

    In October, 2003, 1 started my work at my local animal shelter's Adoption Department. Over the years, more than 50,000 animals have1the doors of the shelter. Most of them, I do not remember. But occasionally there are2animals, who touch me so deeply that I could never possibly3them. Tabby was one such animal.

    Tabby was an ancient Cocker Spaniel, probably 14 years old. What's more, she was blind and deaf. Tabby's chances at adoption seemed4at best. After all, we didn't have many adopters coming in5, “Can you show me all of your really old dogs who are also6?'' We had all thought that Tabby would live out the rest of her life at the7.

    One day a woman named Loretta came to the shelter. Her son, Gary, had8Tabby's picture and stories on the shelter's website at home. They were interested in meeting her! It was the only9we ever received about Tabby. What could a young child possibly see in a 14-year-oid dog who was both blind and deaf? Most boys would want a dog who could grow with them and10through grassy fields on summer days. Tabby would11be able to do that. But after meeting her, Loretta and Gary decided that she was the right dog for their family. They adopted Tabby!

    If Tabby's story had simply ended with her12adoption, it would still have been something very special indeed.13  it was what happened after her adoption that people might regard as “magic”. Gary14from seizures(癫痫). Since Gary and Tabby met they became15They did everything together. They became so “in tune” with one another that Tabby began to telegraph Gary's seizures16they occurred, giving his family a(n)17that one was about to strike. What's more, Gary seemed to be having fewer and fewer seizures since Tabby's18 .

    How could it be? Nobody could explain19Tabby did it. But those of us who were fortunate enough to know her and her family had20the magic, the kind that has its roots in love.

    The shower, I find, is the best place to cry. The water1the sound of my sadness, while washing away any2of my pain. I shower after the kids have gone to bed; it's the only time I can be3.

    I always did my best to 4 my two children from my tears. If I needed to cry, I cried by myself.

    Yet, I encourage my two boys to cry. My 7-year-old 5 himself on never crying at school. “Oh，but you must cry,” I 6 . “Crying is good. It gets the sadness out. Never7 your tears.”

    But then I did just that. What might it do to them to see their mother upset?

    Then my father died, and there was no way I could 8 my grief(悲痛)and keep my feelings inside. I tried to get on with things, but the sadness 9came. The realization my dad was actually gone 10 me with an intensity (强度)that was impossible to cover up.

    To my surprise，my boys didn't seem too 11 , They found me hiding in the bedroom one afternoon, 12. “It's OK，mommies get sad too，” I told them, smiling through my tears. “Don't be sad, Mommy. Granddad's coming back as a baby,” my 7-year-old said，his tiny arm stretched (伸出)13 my shoulders. “Think about 14 ,” he went on. “Think about all the people who love you.”

I realized that in hiding my 15. I was only denying what it means to be human. I felt16 I had led my sons to believe that “negative” emotions are only a concept，and not something they should have.

    It's one thing to tell my children that it's 17 to cry. It's another to show them how it's done.

    We owe (欠) that to our children, according to social researcher and author Brene Brown. During her TED talk The Power of vulnerability(弱点)，Brown said it's 18 that we “let ourselves be seen — deeply seen”.

    "Our job is not to protect our children，to keep them perfect，" said Brown. “Our job is to look and say, 'You're not 19, and you're made for struggles, but you are 20 of love and belonging'.”

    A storm was coming, but Alex was too busy fixing her leg bandage to notice it. She said to herself, "Great. I 1 myself the week before Cross Country Running tryouts (锦标赛). I am so 2. Why did I think running through the forest would be a good idea in the first place?"

    After 3, Alex went to the kitchen and poured herself some lemonade. She opened the door to her 4 and sat down outside. "Every year, I work so hard and yet, I always 5," Alex said. This year, I was one spot away from Varsity(校队). The previous 6, I handed in my medical forms late…"

    Suddenly there was a flash of 7. It sounded like it's going to be a thunderstorm, Alex thought and 8 to head inside. She tried to 9 the door, only to find that she had locked herself out. 10, Alex shook the door handle 11 back and forth. As she took a quick step backwards, she lost her 12 and fell down. "Why me?" she yelled. "Why did this all happen to me?" Once Alex 13 to pull herself up, she sat silently on the staircase. As rapidly as the rain poured from the sky, so did the 14 stream down Alex's face. Alone and wet, Alex cried until all the 15and wetness of the day washed away. Finally, when she16crying, she looked up at a suddenly 17 image of her backyard. The air felt light and the sun shone through the clouds. 18 her leg still felt stiff, Alex tore off the 19 and stood up. "I will take part in the Cross Country this year and I will make Varsity," Alex 20 with a breath of inspiration, "Nothing will stop me."

    I was eleven years old when the fire broke out that year. I stood outside in just my underwear while I watched the 1 that I grew up in rapidly burn to the 2. A few minutes earlier I had been 3 asleep in my nice, warm bed when a 4 woke me up. My mum's bedroom was just next to mine and my brother's. A fire had broken out there and 5 her. While I stumbled(跌跌撞撞地走)around in the 6 and darkness, she ran from room to room quickly waking everyone in the house. The house, however, was over 50 years old and made of wood. Before we could do anything the fire 7 it. We all barely 8 outside before the 9 engulfed(吞没) every room.

    I stood there 10 while the fire destroyed my books, clothes, and toys. I watched 11 while my mum cried and my Dad swore. I 12 what was going to happen to us 13 we had lost all of our things. As I looked around, though, I realized something for the first time: The things that 14 aren't things. I realized at that moment that we were all alive. 15 that was essential had 16 the fire. We would all be around to love each other for many years to come. And that was all that mattered.

    I still think of that fire in the 17 that helped me to become who I am today. It showed me for the very first time what is truly 18 in this life. It helped me to learn that the love we 19 is far more important than the things we 20.

    When my oldest son was in high school, he planned to 1 a Christian contemporary concert with the youth group from our church. To my 2, Aaron invited me to go along. I 3 accepted; however, by the time the date of the concert arrived, my youngest son had been ill, and I was 4 about him. I hesitated (犹豫). Then my husband 5 me to attend the concert, promising he would take care of our youngest.

    Finally, the 6 was made. Aaron was sixteen years old. How many 7 would I have to do something fun with him 8 he went away to college? And how many youths actually would 9 their mothers to attend a concert with them that was clearly for teens? I would not miss this opportunity.

    At the concert, I 10 with Aaron in the third row, putting cotton in my ears to block out the 11, ear­splitting music of the first performer. I stood when the kids stood, clapped when they 12, and never let anyone know how 13 I was to feel the floor shaking beneath my feet. Aaron and his friends were 14 at my enthusiasm (激情).

    By the time we left the concert, my ears were ringing, but it quickly passed. 15 did my son's teenage years. 16 he was in college and away from home. I missed him more than I could say. Whenever I felt 17, I would think back to the concert we attended and be thankful once again that I didn't 18 an opportunity to spend time with my son.

    Aaron is now grown and has a family of his own, but he often calls just to 19 and tell me about his day. I drop everything and 20 the moment.