When I was in the third grade, Mother's day came around much too quickly; I found myself empty-handed with nothing to give my mom on her special day. So I was1when an announcement over the loudspeaker said that one of the older grades would be2pins(胸针)that said “Number-One Mom”. It may not sound like much, but to an 8-year-old it's3.

    So each day I4myself that the following day I would bring the money to buy the pin, but I always forgot. And I was5when the principal(校长)and a few of the older kids selling pins came into my6and announced that it was the last day to buy them.

    I always7my principal. She could be sweet, but sometimes she could be 8. If you break9, she was quick to set you straight, so I remained as disciplined as a 10before her.

    On this day, however, my principal was in a good11. And she must have heard me tell my classmates I'd12my money again. I wasn't crying, but she knew I really wanted to buy a13.

After she left, I got called to her office. I'd never been there. So I was terrified. When I arrived14, she told me to come to her desk, and she pulled out the pin I'd had my eye15for days.

    “The kids gave me this to give to my16,” she began. “But my mom passed away, so I want you to17it.”

    Taking the pin, I looked at it in my this hands. I didn't know what to say. I probably18her and walked back to class, and proudly presented this19gift to my mother.

    I don't know if my mom still has the pin, and I don't know20the principal remembers giving it to me. But I will never forget that act of kindness from someone I'd never expected it from.

When I was young, my mom only had one eye. I hated her. She was such an 1.She ran a small shop at a flea(跳蚤) market and 2 old clothes and some other things to sell for the money we needed. Once during elementary school, it was field day, and my mom came. I was so embarrassed and 3 how could she do this to me？I threw her a 4 look and ran out. The next day at school, my schoolmates asked me, "Your mom only has one eye?!" and 5 me.

I was so angry with my mom and wished that she would just 6 from this world. So I said to my mom, "Why don't you have the other eye?! If you're only going to make me a laughingstock(笑柄)!" My mom did not respond, I guess I felt a little bad, but at the same time, I felt so 7 to have had said what I wanted to say. Maybe it was 8 my mom hadn't punished me, I didn't think that I had hurt her feelings very badly.

    For the words I had said to her earlier, there was something pinching at me in the corner of my heart. Even so, I hated my one-eyed mom and our 9 poverty. I told myself that I would become 10 in the near future, 11 I studied very hard. Later I got accepted by the Seoul University, I left my mother and came to Seoul to study. Then I got 12 there.

    I bought a house of my own. Then I had kids, too. Now I am living 13 as a successful man. I enjoy the 14 in Seoul because it's a place that doesn't 15 me of my mom and my past. This kind of happiness was getting bigger and bigger, 16 one day someone knocked at my door. It was my mom! And still with her one eye! It felt 17 the whole sky was falling apart on me. My little girl 18, scared of my mom's eye.

I screamed at her, "Who are you? I don't know you! How dare you come to my house and scare my daughter!" To this, my mom quietly answered, "Oh, I'm so sorry. I may have gotten the

19 address," and she disappeared out of sight. I was quite relieved.

    One day, I went back to participate in a reunion. After the reunion, I went down to the old shack(窝棚), which I used to call a house, just out of 20. Unexpectedly, there I found my mom fallen on the cold ground. Then a piece of paper in her hand came into my eyes. It was a letter to me.

    My son,

    I think my life has been long enough now, and I won't visit Seoul anymore. I miss you so much. I'm so sorry that I only have one eye, and I was an embarrassment for you.

    You see, when you were very little, you got into an accident and lost your eye. As a mom, I couldn't stand watching you having to grow up with only one eye. So I gave you mine. I was so proud of my son to see a whole new world for me with that eye. I was never upset at you for anything you did. During the couple of times that you were angry with me, I thought to myself, it's because he loves me.

    My son…oh, my son…

    Don't cry for me because of my death. I love you so much.

    I was in the kitchen making lunch when I saw my six-year-old son, Billy, walking toward the woods. I could only see his back. He 1 to be walking with a great effort, trying to be as 2 as possible.

    A few minutes after he disappeared into the 3, he came running toward the house again. I went back to making sandwiches, 4 that whatever task he had been doing was completed. Moments later, 5, he was once again walking slowly toward the woods.

    6curiosity, I walked out and followed him on his journey. He was 7 both hands in front of him as he walked, being 8 not to spill the water he held in them. I secretly walked 9 behind him as he went into the woods and I saw the most amazing 10.

    Several large deer loomed in front of him. Billy walked right up to them. I almost 11 at him to get away. A huge male deer with elaborate（精美的）antlers was 12 close. But they didn't even move as Billy 13. And I saw a small deer lying on the ground, obviously suffering from 14and extreme heat, lift its head 15 to drink the water cupped in my beautiful boy's hands.

    It was on this day that I learned the true lesson of 16. You know, we hadn't had any rain for three months and our crops were 17. As the tears that rolled down my face began to hit the ground, they were suddenly 18 by other drops. I looked up at the sky. It was19 God was moved to weep. The rain came that day and saved our farm, just like the 20 of one little boy who saved another.

    In a used furniture business, unlike new, you cannot order stock from a catalogue. People call in, and you have to go out and make an offer. “You can't 1 what you don't have,” my father would say.

    When I was aged thirteen, my father 2 his store manager, a one－armed guy who could do more with his one arm than many will do with two. With his3 gone, my father came to me. “Will you come in while I go out to 4 the day's calls 5 I find the right person？” he asked. The store has tens of thousands of 6. “People like to bargain,” he told me. “So I don't 7 prices. You just have to know a 8.”

    He took me around and said, “A quarter－horse motor you can sell for four dollars. For a refrigerator, depending on the9, you can sell for thirty－five dollars to sixty dollars. However, if it has a freezer all the way across, sell it for eighty dollars; 10 excellent condition, maybe one hundred dollars. Dishes come in with a houseful of furniture, and I don't even figure them in when I give a price. You can sell them for a nickel to a quarter. Something really nice.”

    Every day after 11, I would pedal(骑自行车) down to the store. Soon after, I was writing up a sales slip(纸条) for an attractive plate when my father walked in. I had asked a dollar and the guy did not hesitate. I was very 12. My father glanced down at what I was doing, 13 the customer and said, “You sure got a14 today. My employee gave you the price and that's the price.” Afterward, I asked my father, “What was that all15？”

    It turned out that it was a(n) 16 plate, worth a few hundred dollars. I was shocked. Here I was 17 to help my father in the business and instead I was losing money for him.

    He said, “I could have stopped the sales if I'd wanted to. You were just writing up the slip and hadn't yet taken the money. 18, by civil law, you're 19 age. But, a man stands by his word and the word of his agent.” It 20 my father a small amount of money, but I learned a lifelong lesson in integrity(正直).

    I arrived at my school one morning. As soon as I walked in, the 1immediately felt sad and uncomfortable. I knew exactly why the mood felt this way. The people around me were 2their emotions, trying to keep their 3steady. Today was the day when our teacher would 4 and move to another school. Mr. Smith was finally saying goodbye to our school after five years'5 here.

    Mr. Smith was a(n)6 likable man. He would tell a lot of jokes during the class 7 so you would remember it. He was very easy to talk with and to have 8 with. He was cool, relaxed,9 was always friendly when you would see him. It was 10 hard not to like him.

    I felt sad and 11.I couldn't even imagine how things were going to be 12 him: all the good times I've had with him. The 13 he said that made me laugh, the countless hours of watching him play the guitar, and the warm 14 he kept on his face. These thoughts 15 my mind, and I became 16.Why did Mr. Smith have to go? This is so 17.I was lost into my thoughts.

    "Hey, are you all right?" My friend Peter 18.

    "Yeah, I'm all right. I'm just kind of sad," I 19.

    "Yeah, me too. I wish he was our teacher forever. Mr. Smith is the best," he 20.

    I watch her and her mother decorate her college dormitory room. Everything is in place, 1 and arranged. I closely watch that which I would have in the past 2. I know that this time is 3. As half of her room has been nicely decorated, I begin to 4 that her room at home is no longer hers. It is now ours, our room for her when she 5.

    I 6 myself thinking of when I held her in my arm for the first time in hospital. One day old, so 7, so beautiful, so totally dependent on her new 8. All thoughts went through my mind as I 9 her eyes, her nose and her mouth. Time passes 10.

    She looks up now, catching me 11 at her, causing her to say to her mother. "Mom, Dad's looking at me funny."

    The last few days, I touch her arm, her face—12 that when my wife and I return home, she will not be 13 us. I have so much to say, but no 14 with which to say it.

    She says, "It'll be all right, Dad. I'll be home from 15 soon." I tell her she will have a great year but I say little else. I only hold on to our good-bye hug a little longer, a little 16.

    My wife' eyes follow her 17 she leaves us. Mine do not. I know that what she is welcoming is exciting and 18. I remember what the world looked like to me when everything was 19.

    When I walk to the car with my wife at my side, my eyes are wet, my heart is painful, and I realize that my life is 20 forever.