I was a single(单身的) parent of four small children, working at a low-paid job. Money was always tight, but I 1 to make ends meet(收支平衡), and if not a lot, 2 we had enough. Not knowing we were poor, my kids just thought I was 3. I've always been glad about that.

    It was Christmas time, and although there wasn't 4 for a lot of gifts, we planned to celebrate with a family party. But the big 5for the kids was the fun of Christmas 6. They planned weeks ahead of time, asking 7 what they wanted for Christmas. 8, I had saved $120 for gifts to be shared by all five of us.

    The big day 9. I gave each kid a twenty-dollar bill and 10 them to look for 11 of about four dollars each. Then everyone went away excitedly. We had two hours to shop and 12 back at the “Santa's Workshop”.

    Driving home, everyone was in high Christmas spirits, 13 my youngest daughter, Ginger, who was unusually 14. She had only one small, flat bag with a few candies —fifty-cent candies! I was very doubtful but I didn't say anything 15 we got home. I called her into my bedroom and closed the door. This is what she told me:

    “I was looking 16 thinking of what to buy when I 17 to read the little cards on the “Giving Trees”. One was for a little girl, four years old, and all she 18 for Christmas was a doll. So I took the card off the tree and 19 the doll for her. We have so much and she doesn't have anything.”

    I never felt so 20 as I did that day.

Learning to Accept

    I learned how to accept life as it is from my father. 1, he did not teach me acceptance when he was strong and healthy, but rather when he was 2 and ill.

    My father was 3  a strong man who loved being active, but a terrible illness 4  all that away. Now he can no longer walk, and he must sit quietly in a chair all day. Even talking is 5. One night, I went to visit him with my sisters. We started6about life, and I told them about one of my 7 . I said that we must very often give things up 8we grow—our youth, our beauty, our friends—but it always 9 that after we give something up, we gain something new in its place. Then suddenly my father 10 up. He said, "But, Peter, I gave up 11! What did I gain?" I thought and thought, but I could not think of anything to say. 12 , he answered his own question: "I 13 the love of my family." I looked at my sisters and saw tears in their eyes, along with hope and thankfulness.

    I was also 14by his words. After that, when I began to feel irritated (恼怒的) at someone, I 15 remember his words and become 16. If he could replace his great pain with a feeling of love for others, then I should be 17 to give up my small irritations. In this 18, I learned the power of acceptance from my father.

    Sometimes I 19 what other things I could have learned from him if I had listened more carefully when I was a boy. For now, though, I am grateful for this one 20 .

    Charlotte Whitehead was born in England in 1843, and moved to Montreal, Canada at the age five with her family. While 1 her ill elder sister throughout the years, Charlotte discovered she had a(an) 2 in medicine. At 18 she married and 3a family. Several years later, Charlotte said she wanted to be a4. Her husband supported her decision.

    5, Canadian medical schools did not 6 women students at the time. Therefore, Charlotte went to the United States to study 7 at the Women's Medical College in Philadelphia. It took her five years to 8 her medical degree.

    Upon graduation, Charlotte 9to Montreal and set up a private 10. Three years later, she moved to Winnipeg, Manitoba, and there she was once again a 11 doctor. Many of her patients were from the nearby timber and railway camps. Charlotte 12 herself operating on damaged limbs and setting 13 bones, in addition to delivering all the babies in the area.

    But Charlotte had been practicing without a license. She had 14 a doctor's license in both Montreal and Winnipeg, but was 15.The Manitoba College of Physicians and Surgeons, an all-male board, wanted her to 16her studies at a Canadian medical college! Charlotte refused to 17 her patients to spend time studying what she already knew. So in 1887, she appealed to the Manitoba Legislature to 18 a license to her but they, too, rejected. Charlotte 19 to practice without a license until 1912. She died four years later at the age of 73.

    In 1993, 77 years after her 20 , a medical license was issued to Charlotte. This decision was made by the Manitoba Legislature to honor "this courageous and pioneering woman."

    Many years ago, I was working in an office in Halifax, Nova Scotia. We had large 1 that look out over a busy street. I was standing by one of those windows one day when a woman in a 2 car looked up and made eye contact. Naturally I 3 as she turned and tried to identify me, a quiet laugh 4 my lips. My co-workers began taking an interest, and stood back watching the 5 I received, and laughing happily. Then the stress of work was 6 away.

    Christmas approached, and job 7 were announced. Several of my co-workers were losing their jobs, and everyone was 8. While I was working a night shift, a red jacket, a box of foam (泡沫橡胶) packing and strips of tape in the corner attracted my 9. They could be Santa's jacket and beard! Then I folded a red file into a hat and tied the 10 to it. With the red jacket, a Santa's Costume appeared.

    The next day I walked 11 down into the office in the costume. My co-workers 12 around me and laughed for the first time in weeks. Suddenly, my boss came to me, 13, shook his head and then left. I feared 14. Then the phone rang.

    With a bead of sweat 15 my forehead, I entered the boss' office. 16, he laughed: "Thanks, Mike! It's been hard to enjoy the Christmas season. Thanks for the laugh. I 17 it."

    That evening, I stood 18 by the window and waved at my fans, with my heart 19 with joy. For a few minutes of that day, we'd been able to forget our 20.

    There came a time in my life when my learning curve (曲线) became very steep. I learned so much in such a 1 time that I was reading two grades ahead of my 2 class. At school I was continuously 3 with lectures, because I had already done 4.

    And 5 my knowledge increased, so did my arrogance (傲慢). I started getting into 6 debates with my teachers. I knew more than them, and I was eager to show it at every 7 I got. That was until Mrs T 8. She was new to our school, and a perfect 9 for me. I tried one of my tricks on her in front of the whole class. She didn't scold me. She just 10.

    At the end of the class, she 11 me aside and said the following words:

    "I know that there is an unspoken 12 that a teacher is supposed to be more 13 than the student. We both know that is 14. I know for a fact that you know much more than me. And I won't insult you by pretending otherwise. But remember this. Knowledge is supposed to give you 15, not pride. Today you are the smartest person in the room; tomorrow you won't be. There will always be someone much 16, much more diligent than you. And when that happens, all the pride in the world wouldn't be enough to 17 you from downfall. Everything that you have learnt will be for nothing if you don't learn the 18 of humility."

    Today, I 19 remember her words. I 20 myself of them daily.

    I am a nurse working in a hospital. It was a 1 morning when an elderly gentleman 2 to have his heart condition checked by the doctor. He said he was in a hurry 3 he had an appointment at 9:00 a. m.

    I had him take a seat. Since there were a lot of people 4 to see the doctor, I knew it would be over an hour 5 the doctor would be able to see him. I saw him looking at his watch 6 while waiting. To make him not feel so 7 with nothing to do for long hours, I decided to go over and 8 with him for a while. The gentleman told me that he 9 to go to the nursing home to have breakfast with his mom. His mother had been suffering from a disease and had 10 there for several years.

    As we talked, I asked if she would be upset if he was a bit 11. He replied, "She can't 12 me now." I was 13, and asked him, "And you still go every morning, 14 she doesn't know who you are?" He smiled and said, "She doesn't know me, but I 15 make out who she is—the woman who gave me not only 16 but a mother's whole love." I was moved to tears and felt very 17 on such a winter day. The 18 between parents and children is everlasting (永恒的).

    Just then, a young man came up and said to the man, "Grandpa, now it's my 19 to see the doctor. I am not in a hurry, so you can do it first." The elderly man was very 20 and went in the doctor's to have his heart examined.