When I was young, I often went to my grandfather’s farm and helped with the farm work. Afterwards we would walk to the irrigation (灌溉) ________. There we would sit and talk about school, sports, friends and life in general.

Sometimes ________ I was sitting and talking with my grandfather, I would ________ a rock and throw it into the middle of the pond. This would cause ripples (波纹) to start at the ________ and extend outward until the ripples would ________ the entire pond. Those childhood memories were so ________ that I would treasure them forever.

Now some forty years ________, I have almost forgotten about those long ago ________ days with my grandfather. When one day I was ________ for an afternoon walk, I passed by a still small pond. I stopped and ________ a stone into the center of the pond and watched as the ________ took effect.

As I stood there very calm and quiet, I ________ this rippling effect was much like my life. Although perhaps very small and insignificant (微不足道的) compared to the rest of the world, it did in fact over time have a profound ________ on my family, friends, neighbors, and community. We must always remember that whatever we say or do, good or bad, does ________ cause a rippling effect that ________ far beyond ourselves.

My 10-year-old son Arthur loves to help others. He never __ to help people in need. His favorite pastime is to volunteer __ at various charities in our community. One day, after purchasing the hamburger Arthur liked most, I tried to hurry him along when he __ next to our cur to look at something. I turned to see what stopped him.

Standing about five feet away was an old __ in rags. Every few seconds he smiled and tried to speak to the people who were walking by. At that moment, he turned around and __ my son watching him. __ I could say anything, he smiled broadly and said, “Hey do you happen to have any spare __?”

Arthur __ his empty pockets and then looked at me briefly. I shook my head---I hardly ever carry cash anymore. Arthur __ and then he said something that took my breath away.

“No, I don’t. But are you __? Do you like the hamburger?”

Knowing the old man was hungry, Arthur’s whole face __. “Good, here, you can have __.”

I thought about how many people had __ this man as he walked the streets that day. How many chose to act as if he hadn’t existed? But my son? The one who just moments before had loudly begged me for the hamburger was now __ giving his favorite away to a strange man because he was hungry. And he didn’t __ give the food and walk away. He engaged the man in a conversation. The smile on the man’s face told me this was the real __ for his happiness.

‘‘I’m really proud of you, Arthur. I think you __ his day.”

His __ was beyond my expectation. “It’s only __.”

It’s true that being kind doesn’t have to be difficult me, or complex. As Arthur often reminds me, __ is natural.

It was already half past seven and I was running late again for the dinner appointment with my wife, Eleanor. We had _________ to meet at the restaurant at seven o’clock. I felt a little uneasy, but to my _________, I had a good excuse: A business meeting had _________ and I’d wasted no time getting to the dinner.

When I arrived at the _________, I apologized and told Eleanor I didn’t mean to be late. However, my _________ seemed to make things worse, which finally made her _________.

Several weeks later, when I _________ the situation to my friend Ken Hardy, he smiled, “You didn’t _________ to be late. But that’s not the point. What is _________ in your communication is how your lateness affected Eleanor.” He pointed out that I focused on the intention while Eleanor focused on the result.

Thinking more about Ken’s words, I __________ realized why Eleanor was angry. It’s the result of the action that really __________. I should have started the conversation by expressing __________ my actions affected Eleanor and __________ the discussions about my intention for later, much later and even never.

Later on, after talking to Eleanor and really __________ her experience of the results of my lateness, I’ve managed to be __________ a lot more frequently.