Emergency on the Mountain

Ana was a 12-year-old girl living in the mountain. Her ________ was to become a village nurse like Leta, her neighbor. She spent almost all her spare time reading the ________ book by herself.

This morning, Leta went to Santiago to ________ a short-term training class by a group of volunteer doctors for first aiders to learn medical skills. Before she left, Ana begged Leta to take her along but Leta ________, saying that Ana was too ________ to learn anything important.

Ana was very ________ this morning, so she decided to wander around to refresh herself. On the hillside, she saw Rafi standing on a donkey’s bare back, some kids around him. Rafi was only 13, but he was always doing something to get ________. “No wonder adults don’t ________ kids with anything important”, Ana said to herself. She had just turned away ________ she heard a few screams and Rafi fell off the donkey. Ana ran to where Rafi was lying and __________ that one of his legs bent a little sideways between the knee and the ankle and that all the other kids were __________ not knowing what to do. She __________ what the first-aid book said about __________ legs.

“Vin!” Ana called to one of the boys.

“Go and get Rafi’s mama and find someone with a truck.”

She turned __________ the other kids. “Give me your shirts. We need something to __________ his leg with so it doesn’t move around.”

Ana found a strong, straight stick, which she’d use to __________ his leg. She carefully wrapped the boys’ shirts around his leg and the stick. When Ana was done, Rafi came back to himself. Ana __________ comforted him until Rafi’s mama came over.

Behind her was a neighbor in a pickup truck. They lifted Rafi into the truck, then __________ down the dusty hillside toward the hospital.

The next day, Leta came to Ana’s home. “I heard what you did,” Leta said. “You kept your head in a/an __________. That’s an important skill.” Ana’s face burned.

“Now, listen. The volunteer doctors are coming here tomorrow with vaccines (疫苗). We need some extra __________. Can you help?”

Ana didn’t hesitate. “I would love to and I’ll bring my first-aid book.” Ana said excitedly.

“Who's that, Grandma? ” Four-year-old Taylor pointed to a delicate gold photo frame I had placed on my desk. “That's great-grandma Gladys, ” I replied.

I ________ the picture, my fingers carefully tracing the outline of the familiar face returning my gaze(凝视): her clear blue eyes, the wrinkle lines that ________ her forehead and the tender smile that always comforted me.

My mind was filled with remembrances of my mother. Always the ________, it seemed she never made anyone angry. Even though she was ________ able physically, she baby-sat my young daughter so I could work. She always made ________ for her grandchildren. Even when she wasn't with them, she was making something for them with her hands.

Then her illness ________ . The doctor wanted to experiment with a (an) ________ that might give her another year of life. She agreed so she could be around to ________ her long-awaited first great-grandchild.

The surgery ________ . Several weeks later, Mom passed away, exactly a month before Taylor's birth. Still in great ________, I traveled five hundred miles to be with my family and welcome my new grandson.

A few days later, as I ________ Taylor gently to help him sleep, suddenly I understood why she was so ________ taking care of for our family. Her love for us was so deep and so ________ —a love I was only beginning to learn to give.

“She looks like you, Grandma! ” Taylor's voice brought me back to the ________. He touched the gold-framed photo tenderly. My eyes turned to his, and a ________ smile came to my lips and heart, for then I knew my mother's love and peace. It's a legacy (遗产)of love.

My son asked me months ago if he could switch from his mainstream high school to a   ________ school. At that time, I was unsure and a little ________

He wasn’t doing well in his school, and I knew the best thing for him was to ________ to another learning environment to complete his study. But my heart hurt a little that he would not walk the same graduation ________ that I had walked, and also the scenario (设想) I had created was no longer beneficial to his ________ .

My son is extremely ________ and had a small friend group. Large groups are complex for him. A school of over 2,500 kids can be difficult for anyone, let alone my boy with social ________ .

Then, we decided the vocational school (职业学校) was an option with the same general curriculum ________ by our state to graduate high school. The ________ he had already earned would carry over, and he could graduate early.

By allowing him to go there, we have watched him ________ ! The difference is astonishing. He ________ friendship, he was productive and participated in a life skills course to help himself with real-life studies, and he ________ with his teachers.

The most significant change was that he would come home ________, enthusiastic about his day, and excited to ________ how his day had gone.

As his momma, it is all I needed to know that my son has chosen what was ________ for him.