In life, we will succeed and fail often for reasons that are entirely out of our _________. We can work harder than anyone else in the office and still not be _________. We can be incredibly nice and love someone deeply, and they may not love us _________.

The bottom line is that life is not _________.

That is a bitter _________ to swallow for many of us. As a result, some people _________ after being hit by even one unfair blow from life. But if we let life’s unfairness _________ us, we will never receive the beautiful blessings that life has _________ for us.

My first _________ marriage felt very unfair to me. No matter how hard I had tried to be a good wife, I could not make the relationship __________. I could have been __________ by that experience. But I believed that I could be __________ married one day __________ I always wanted to experience traditional family life. And then, I met this kind, thoughtful, generous man.

What I’ve learned over the years is that we can do all the things that __________ a good outcome, but get __________ things in return instead.

When we are faced with life’s seeming unfairness, our __________ needs to jump in. When life doesn’t go __________ plan, we have to let go of the outcome that we have been __________ and keep trying, and doing the right thing. __________ that life is neither fair nor straightforward. And by knowing that if we remain confident, we can drive our unfair experiences away and use them for our __________.

Beverly and I have been the best friends for years. And our friendship, like a well-worn sweater, has ______ in there, through thick and thin. After her divorce, she moved several ______ away. We keep in touch through phone calls.

Last Saturday night, Beverly called, telling me she found a lump (肿块) in her breast and was ______ for surgery on Tuesday. She was terrified, and ______ was I. After we hung up, I booked a flight.______, I couldn’t let Beverly face her ______ future alone.

On Monday morning I went to the airport. I stepped up the ______ and handed my identification to a girl. Her fingers ______ the computer keys for a moment. When she looked up and handed my identification back, she said, “I’m sorry to ______ you this flight is overbooked.” “But,” I stammered (结结巴巴地说), “I have to get on this flight. This is not just a ______ trip. My best Mend is having surgery-she needs me.”

“I’m sorry.”

A tear ______ my cheek.

“Perhaps I can help you,” said an older woman with smiling blue eyes. “Well, I have a ticket. I’d be ______ if you would take my place.” She ______ the ticket and boarding pass at me.

“My journey is not ______,” she added. “Go to your friend.”

She handed me the ticket and we made the necessary ______ at the counter. I turned to this generous lady and ______ my hand. She took it and said, “Someday you will see a woman in ______ and you will do the same.” With a smile, she let go of my ______.

To this day, I often think of that woman who ______ convenience for friendship. I will never forget her ______ of kindness.

Several years ago, a neighbor kid kicked a football and broke a basement window of my house. Due to financial problems, I ______ it up, thinking I’d get to it someday.

Over the years, I had planned to upgrade to energy-efficient windows. But with the frame (窗框) rusted (锈) and firmly ______ in the foundation, whoever did it would need to chisel (凿) it out by hand. It would be a ______ process and there were six of those windows in the house. The cost was estimated at $15,000. It was simply ______.

Honestly, the thought of that window ______ me for years. I knew I needed to fix it, but I had built up the ______ so much in my mind that I put it off again and again.

Then I had a job change and needed to sell the house before moving away. But it was almost ______ to find a buyer if there was a broken window. So I pulled off the boards to face this thing head-on. I grabbed some rust remover, ______ it around the frame of the window, and gave it a pull. To my astonishment, it easily ______. I took the window downtown. It only cost me $12. I could have ______ the problem for only $12 when it occurred, but I let it bother me for five years!

______, this isn’t just about my window. Many of us live with broken windows of one type or another. They are things that seriously affect our ______ of life. If you recognize your broken window, don’t ______ to mend it. It may turn out to be ______ than expected. Usually we suffer more in_______ than in reality.