Mark is leaving, and I’m feeling kind of sad. He’s been the heart and soul of the office for a couple of years, _____ good professional skills with a sweet and ______ personality.

And now he’s moving on to an exciting new professional ______. It sounds like it could be the chance of a lifetime, and we’re ______ pleased for him. But that doesn’t make it any ______ to say goodbye to a dear friend and trusted ______.

Life has a way of throwing these curve (曲线) balls ______ us. Just when we start to get ______ with a person, a place or a situation, something comes along to change the recipe.

Our ability to cope with ______ determines happiness in life. But how do we do that? A friend of mine reminds us that “survivability depends upon ______.” And then there’s Chris the California surfer, who once told me that the answer to life’s problems can be summed up in four words: “Go with the flow.”

I think life is a series of ______ - both good and bad. No matter how excellent your organizational skills, there will always be life-influencing factors over which you have no ________. The truly successful person is prepared to ______ adjustments should the need arise.

That doesn’t mean you don’t keep trying to make all your ______ come true. It just means when things come up that aren’t ______ in your plan, you work around them - and then you move on.

“Change, indeed, is painful, ______ ever needful.” said philosopher Thomas Carlyle. “And if memory has its force and worth, so has hope.” We’re going to ________ Mark. But rather than stay on the ______ of our parting, we’ll focus on our hopes for a brighter future - for him, and for us. And then we’ll go out and ______ everything we can to make that future happen ______ our plans change again.

When I was little, I often helped my mother plant our family’s garden. In April, I would kneel by Mum’s side for hours, carefully digging holes and_______seeds into the earth.

When I grew up, I was unwilling to do any planting. _______, my mother never said much about my decision until two years ago. I was leaving home when Mum_______me.

“Would you please help me with the planting today?” she asked. I mumbled(咕哝) something along the_______of, “Uh, maybe ... I’ll see.” By the time I left the house, Mum was already in the garden. She_______for a moment as I walked past, and from the corner of my eye I saw a certain_______in her stare. A few hours later, I decided to head back home to help her and felt very_______for my selfless decision. But I was too late.

I_______little about that day until nearly a year later, Mum unexpectedly_______her friend Sara to cancer. She went to see how the two children were________the sudden loss. There Mum learned the answer. “Mummy made me my own garden,” Rachel said________, leading her outdoors to see the masterpiece. Sara had decided to plant her children something that would________long after she was gone.

As I listened to my mother tearfully tell Sara’s story, I realized the true________of a garden. Our annual planting was about kneeling together, planting potential life and creating the best________together.

I won’t ever________the planting day again.

I recently gave up driving. I_________my test last year, but I stopped_________when I turned 90. I thought that it was finally the_________time.

Needless to say, my family was _________ —they didn't have to have "that talk" with me. My doctor was glad too. Like diagnosing（诊断）an incurable illness,   _________away a senior's driving license is probably one of the_________things he must try hard to do. _________my wife passed away years ago, I made this decision alone. I knew I couldn't _________ as well as I used to. My_________ was getting worse, and I couldn't see clearly. It hurt to turn my head when driving backward, and I was __________after very long shopping trips.

As I__________the keys of the car to my son, I thought of all the cars my wife and I had owned over the years. A car is freedom, __________and an extension of your personality. Without one, you feel like__________of a person.

I have a son who lives close by and we shop together at least once a week. My neighbors also__________me ride, but the idea of being dependent on other people after a __________ of independence is hard to get used to.

I've learned to__________. With my own __________, I once could go anywhere. But now, my physical condition gets worse and I __________plan ahead for everything. No more driving out quickly for milk or bread or last-minute afternoon drives.

Giving up driving is hard, and some of us never __________the loss. For me, however, it was __________ the end result of a long and lucky life.