A little boy invited his mother to attend his elementary school's first teacher-parent conference. To be little boy's1 she said she would go. This would be the first time that his classmates and teacher met his mother and he was embarrassed by her 2.Although she was a beautiful woman, there was a severe scar that 3nearly the entire right side of her face. The boy 4wanted to talk about why or how she got the scar.

    At the conference, the people were5by the kindness and natural beauty of his mother6the scar, the little boy was still embarrassed and 7himself from everyone. He did8 got within earshot of a 9between his mother and his teacher, and heard them speaking.“How did you get the10on your face?” the teacher asked.The mother replied, “When my son was a baby, he was in a room that caught on fire 11was too afraid to go in because the fire was12so I went in. As I was running towards his bed, I saw a beam(横梁) coming down and I placed myself over trying to13him. I was knocked14but fortunately, a fireman came in and saved both of us.” She touched the 15side of her face. “This scar will be 16but to this day, I have never17doing what I did.” At this point, the little boy18running towards his mother with tears in his eyes. He hugged her and felt a great sense of the 19that his mother had made for him. He held her hand20for the rest of the day.

    For a few years, I have been wearing a ring on my right hand. It's not always the 1 ring, but it's always a ring that has 2 on it so that when I look at it, I'm 3 or reminded of something important. I have made a4 of buying rings like this whenever I see one in a store. Sometimes I give them away as 5 to someone like Jennie. I first met Jennie in the 6 waiting room and we had talked several times. One night I sat down beside her and 7 how her son was doing because I knew that he was in very 8 condition. She told me that she didn't know what to do anymore because it seemed none of the 9from the doctors was good. They weren't at all sure her son was going to 10 the accident that had him so badly. With 11 in her eyes she said, "They're 12my hope." I knew then that it was 13 just a coincidence(巧合)that I was wearing the ring that I had on that day. As she 14 to talk, I 15 slipped the ring off my finger and placed it in Jennie's hand. I told her to wear it to remember that God loved her and He would be with her 16 all of this. 17 Jennie looked down at the ring, she got excited and then held it tightly, 18 the word written on the ring was "HOPE". The last day I was at the hospital, I saw Jennie in the distance as I got on the lift. She 19and held up the hand with the ring on it as she called out to me saying, "Look, I 20 have Hope!"

    I was appointed to tend to this patient several weeks ago and began to grow closer to her. Communicating with her was1because everything she wanted to say to me had to be written on a notepad. As a nursing graduate, I was able to2her mind by observing even a slight 3 in a patient's facial expression.

    One day, when I was checking the patient, she4me on the shoulder to show me a note," Do you think I could be let go5 the hospital in a month to see my niece get married?" Taking her hand in mine, I told her that I could not 6her, because I did not want to leave her a 7sense of hope. 8, I made her believe that I would be there with her every step of the way on her journey toward9. Hearing that, the patient gave me a10 and a hug.

    Day by day, I built her 11by walking around the floor with her. As I did this, I could see before my own eyes that her health was 12improving and able to walk more steadily. On her last today in hospital, just before her niece's 13, she wrote me last note," I couldn't have done this 14 you; I love you." After kissing goodbye, I had a strong sense of achievement. I realized that moments like this were 15I woke up early for16in the hospital and spent long hours with her. I truly felt, and her 17confirmed, that I was an18part of this woman's recovery. My experience with this patient shows me that this career allows to touch the 19of people in ways that people in other20will never get to experience.

    In the palace of Rubyland there was a thief. No one knew who it was, but the only thing known about him was that he1 in the palace.

    The King decided to 2 who it was, and he asked for help from a wise dwarf who was famed for his 3. The dwarf spent some days there, watching and listening, until there was another 4 —another ruby(红宝石)was stolen. The next day after breakfast the wise dwarf made all the 5 inhabitants meet up together in the same room. The dwarf 6them all one by one.

    But suddenly, one of the 7 began coughing and crying, writhing and crying, and finally he 8 to the floor. The dwarf explained that the food they had just eaten was 9, and the only antidote(解药) for this poison was hidden inside the ruby that had been stolen the 10 night. And he expected that only the thief would be able to 11 himself, because the poison was 12 quick working.

    Gradually the coughs and groans spread around the whole room, and 13 took hold of all present. All except one person. A footman quickly 14 over to where he had hidden the ruby, from where he took the ruby, opened it and 15the strange liquid inside to save his own life.

In fact, the gardener was one of the dwarf's 16, and the poison was just a kind of potion(药水)prepared by the dwarf which could cause a few 17 pains for a short while. Then the footman was 18 by the guards and taken immediately to court.

    The King, grateful, generously rewarded the dwarf. When he asked the dwarf what his 19 was, the dwarf smiled and said: "I only try to get the person 20 the truth to reveal that truth. Anyone can deceive everyone, but no one can deceive themselves."

    Have you ever seen a miracle happen? Two winters ago, I did. It was 1 that day. The road was covered with snow.

    I asked my mom if we could go to our neighbor's hill and take my dog, Buddy. She said, "Sure. 2 don't go any farther than that." After a while, we walked over to another hill by a pond (池塘) not far away. Then suddenly I saw Buddy walk out onto the ice. I was 3 when he walked to the middle of the pond. The 4 was thin there.

    We 5 Buddy, but he didn't listen. Then 6 the ice broke, and my dog 7 into the water. I asked my friend if I should go in and get him out. She said, "NO!" 8, I ran to my house to tell my mom. It was 9 for me to run on the snowy ground. I was tired, but I had to 10 Buddy.

    When my mom heard what 11, she said, "Get in the car." When we got there, she told me to run home 12 and get her phone. But back at the pond, my mom 13 to get Buddy out of the water and fell in.

    14, my friend saw it happen. She ran to a neighbor's house for help. Soon they got my mom out of the water, but Buddy was still 15 for his life. The fire department (部门) put a ladder (梯子) out onto the ice to get him, but it didn't 16. I was back again by then, and someone said I should 17 inside the neighbor's house. It didn't look 18 for Buddy. I went inside and 19 and hoped for a miracle.

    Then, my uncle walked into the house with Buddy in his arms! I was so 20, I hugged Buddy and thanked the firefighters (消防员).

Grainne lived alone. My morning routine 1 with her daily walks to and from her gates, and we began having 2 there.

She was an easy conversationalists, with a good habit of focusing 3 on me as we talked. She told me she was 87, and she was surprised I was only 26. I found myself 4 her things I hadn't necessarily told anyone. "I have never felt at home anywhere, I'm traveling to find out where I 5 ." I told her.

We both looked forward to my daily 6 . However, as our friendship grew, my beloved grandfather was seriously ill. I 7 to go back to India soon.

The day before I left Dublin, I went to say goodbye to Grainne. We both knew we were likely talking to each other in person for the 8 time.

Shortly after my return to India, my grandfather 9 . I emailed Grainne telling her "I lost the only person who made me feel less 10 ." Grainne wrote back, an email full of 11 . She said: "I hope you understand you don't fit into places. You fit into 12 . You will always fit where you have people to fit with."

Although I was never able to 13 Grainne again, my friendship with her continued through emails. It was one of the most 14 friendship I've ever known. I was 26 and alone in a foreign country, and she was 87 and alone in her own home. Together we made the world 15 again.