Growing up, I knew one thing about my accountant father: he understood everything. In my teen years, he taught me things I’d need to know to _________ in the real world. When I moved out, I called him each week, usually when something _________ in my apartment. But then I got married, I needed him _________. When I called, our conversations _________ into six words: “Hi, Dad.” Him: “Hi, sweets. Here’s Mom.” I loved my dad, _________ I wondered at times if maybe he had already _________ everything I needed to know.

This past summer, I moved in with my parents while our house was being repaired. Dad asked me to help him _________ the bulkhead (舱壁) at their dock. As we put the new bulkhead together piece by piece, my dad knowing _________ what went where, I looked at him. “How do you know how to build a bulkhead?” “I spent a summer in college building them.” “You did?” I thought I knew everything about my dad—all his _________ jobs. I knew about him being the apple collector, the TV repairer. But I never knew this. “Yep. Now let me teach you how to use this saw (锯子). As he explained the __________, I realized that maybe it’s not that there’s nothing left to say. Maybe it’s just that I’ve spent my life asking him the __________ questions.

After I moved back, I called my parents. Dad answered. “Hi, sweets”. Here’s Mom.” “ __________ Dad.” I said. “How are you?” We __________ talking about work he was doing. To anyone else, it would sound like a __________ conversation between a dad and his daughter. But to me, it was a new __________. I spent the first part of my life needing to talk to my dad. Now I talk to him because I want to.

My father, 92, lives alone in Mackay. Although active in personality, he has _______ movement. We rang him yesterday to _______ after the wild weather. He _______ us how he had gotten his groceries (货物) and _______ them to his car. Then a “young” gentleman (now that could be anywhere from 12 to 70, when you are 92) stopped, “I will _______ you to put your groceries in your car.”

Dad wasn’t sure at first but then said thanks. The man then unloaded (卸下) the groceries from the trolley (推车) carefully and made sure they were _______ . Dad said thanks again. And the man just said: no _______.

A couple of days later, Dad was at the bank in the line. The “young” man behind him said, “I will _______ your place, while we wait. There is a chair over there, go and sit down.” Dad said, “Oh, why? Was I shaking or looking _______?”

“No.” was the reply, “I know my Dad would find it __________ to stand for so long.” So __________, Dad went over and sat down. When the time came for Dad, a __________ of the head and a smile expressed thankfulness.

Dad said, “I’m happily __________ by the kindness shown by these two ‘young’ men.”

So, to those two “young” men of uncertain __________, we say thanks for helping Dad in __________ but meaningful ways.