Unchangeable Love

    One day I visited an art museum while waiting for my husband to finish a business meeting. I was expecting a quiet1 of the splendid artwork.

    A young2 viewing the paintings ahead of me3 nonstop between themselves. I watched them a moment and decided the lady was doing all the talking. I admired the man's4for putting up with her5 stream of words. 6 by their noise, I moved on.

    I met them several times as I moved7 the various rooms of art. Each time I heard her continuous flow of words, I moved away8.

    I was standing at the counter of the museum gift shop making a9 when the couple approached the10. Before they left, the man11into his pocket and pulled out a white object. He12 it into a long stick and then tapped his way into the13 to get his wife's jacket.

    “He's a14 man.” the clerk at the counter said. “Most of us would give up if we were blinded at such a young age. During his recovery, he made a promise his life wouldn't change. So, as before, he and his wife come in15 there is a new art show.”

    “But what does he get out of the art?” I asked. “He can't see.”

    “Can't see! You're 16. He sees a lot. More than you and I do,” the clerk said. “His wife17 each painting so he can see it in his head.”

    I learned something about patience, 18 and love that day. I saw the patience of a young wife describing paintings to a person without 19 and the courage of a husband who would not20 blindness to change his life. And I saw the love shared by two people as I watched this couple walk away, hand in hand.

    Across the street from where we live, there stands a big hospital. To earn some money, we rented the rooms upstairs to patients. One evening, there was a(n) 1 at the door. I opened it and saw a short old man who was hardly 2 than my eight-year-old son. But the worst thing was his face—it was 3 ugly. He told me he'd been 4 a room since that noon but no one seemed to have one. For a moment I hesitated, not 5 to rent him a room, but his next words convinced me. He said,“I could 6 on this chair. My bus leaves early in the morning." I told him we would find him a 7.

    It wasn't a long time before I found that this old man had a 8 heart in that tiny body. He fished for a living to 9 his daughter, his daughter's children, and her disabled husband. He didn't tell it by way of complaint. Instead, he was 10 that no pain was caused by his disease and that he still had strength to keep going. At 11, we put a camp cot(吊床) in my children's room for him.12 he left the next morning, he asked, “Could I please come back and 13 when I see the doctor next time? Grown-ups are bothered by my 14, but children don't seem to 15. ”I told him he was welcome to come again.

    On his next trip, he brought a big fish and a bag of the largest oysters（牡蛎）I had ever seen. Other times we received 16 in the mail. There were oysters, fish or some fresh vegetables. 17 how little money he had and that he must walk three miles to 18 these made these gifts much more precious. And from him we 19 what it was to accept the bad without complaint and the good 20gratitude.

    As a high school coach, I did all I could to help my boys win their game. I cheered as hard for 1 as they did. A dramatic 2 however, following a game in which I was a referee(裁判), changed my 3 on victories and defeats.

    It was a league championship basketball game between New Rochelle and Yonkers High. New Rochelle was 4 by Dan O'Brien, Yonkers by Les Beck. The gym was5, and the noise made it impossible to hear. The game was well played and 6 competed. Yonkers was 7 by one point as I 8 at the clock and discovered there were but 10 seconds left to play. New Rochelle, the home team, took 9 of the ball, passed off and shot. The ball 10 around the rim(篮筐边沿) and off. The fans11. New Rochelle recovered the ball, and tapped it in for what looked like victory. The noise was 12.

    I looked at the clock and saw that the game was over. I hadn't heard the final buzzer(终场哨) because of the noise. I 13 with the other official, but he could not help me. So, I 14 the timekeeper, a young man of 17 or so. He said, “Sir, the buzzer 15 before the final tap-in was made. ” Yonkers won!

    I had to tell O'Brien the sad news. His face 16. The young timekeeper came up and said, “I'm sorry, Dad. The 17 ran out before the final basket. ”18, like the sun coming out from a cloud, O'Brien's face lit up. He said, “that's okay, Joe. You did what you had to. I'm 19 of you.” The two of them then walked off the 20 together, the coach's arm around his son's shoulder.

    In most people's eyes, I was a golden girl when I was eighteen years old： I was president of the college drama society, a member of the student senate and so on. I was the1of all my friends and I was in a state of 2 .

    The old Greek tragedies3us that when pride rises, punishment falls. My universe4 with great suddenness when the scenery(舞台布景道具）fell on my head and I was left almost5for the next four months.

    My memory was in a mess and within a few months all my 6 were taken away. I was even told that I would have to leave the college at the end of the spring term7clearly, I couldn't do academic work.”

    Sad, I took one last 8by Dr. Jacob Taubes. He was the most brilliant teacher I had ever 9and in his class, I began to raise a tentative 10 and ask an occasional question. He would answer with great intensity, and soon I found myself asking 11 I questions constantly.

    One day I was walking to the bus when I heard Dr. Taubes12me,” Miss Houston, let me walk with you. You know, you have a most 13mind.”

“Me? 1 have a mind?”

    “Yes, of course.” Then he asked my understanding of some problems discussed in the classes. From that day on, Dr. Taubes continued to 14 me to the bus, always15 me with intellectually vigorous questions. Within several weeks my eyesight came back and my spirit 16 .

    Though what I acquired from the accident was a 17 sense of life, I remain deeply 18 for the attention Dr. Taubes had shown. He 19 me when I most needed it. I swore then that I would try to 20 and acknowledge the unlucky person as I had been acknowledged.

    At my heaviest I weighed 370 pounds. I had a very poor relationship with food: I used it to 1 bad feelings, to make myself feel better, and to celebrate. Worried about my health, I tried many different kinds of  2 but nothing worked. I came to believe that I could do nothing about my 3.

    When I was 50, my weight problem began to affect me 4 . I didn't want to live the rest of my life with this 5 weight any more.

    That year, I6 a seminar where we were asked to create a project that would touch the world. A seminar leader shared her 7 story —she had not only 125 pounds, but also raised $25,000 for homeless children.

    8 by her story, I created the As We Heal(痊愈), the World Heals 9. My goal was to lose 150 pounds in one year and raise $50,00010 a movement founded 30 years ago to end hunger. This combination of healing myself and healing the world  11 me as the perfect solution.

    12I began my own personal weight program, I was filled with the fear that I would 13 the same difficulties that beat me before. While the 14 hung over my head, there were also signs that I was headed down the right 15. I sent letters to everyone I knew, telling them about my project. It worked perfectly. Donations began 16in from hundreds of people.

    Of course, I also took some practical steps to lose weight. I consulted with a physician(内科医生), I hired a fitness coach, and I began to eat small and 17 meals. My fund-raising focus also gave me new motivation to exercise 18.

    A year later, I19 my goal: I lost 150 pounds and raised $50,000! I feel that I've been given a second life to devote to something that is 20 and enormous.

    Lucy didn't have a lot of friends. She was a bit 1. She never really wanted to be popular, but did want to have someone to2 secrets and laughs with. All through high school, 3, she didn't find a lot of comfort or companionship.

    When it came to going to college, Lucy still felt 4. She was going to be rooming with a 5 classmate and living in a town 300 miles away from home. There wouldn't be a single person she 6 in town. She had no idea how she was going to make7in this new environment.

    The first week of classes, something happened that 8 Lucy's life forever. In her English Composition class, she was asked to share a little about herself. She 9 everyone where she came from and all of the other 10 details that students share in such 11. The final question for each student was always the same: "What is your 12 for this class?" Now, most of the students said it was to get a good13, pass the class or something similar, but for some 14, Lucy said something entirely 15. She said that her goal was to make just one good friend.

    While most of the students sat in silence, one student came to Lucy and 16his hand and introduced himself. He asked if she would be his friend. The whole room was 17—all eyes focused on Lucy and the hand extended just in front of her. She 18 and reached out to take his hand and a friendship was formed. It was a friendship that 19all through college. Lucy learned the20of asking for what she wanted, being honest and taking action.