It all started with a post on the social media.

Returning home from the_________store, Simone felt she must help the elderly in her community to practice_________social distancing during the COVID-19 pandemic. With this in mind, she reached out to her friends on Facebook. Unexpectedly, many_________, expressing their willingness to volunteer. They decided to start an online platform called Invisible Hands Deliver.

Just two days after_________the initiative, they built a website that allowed the_________in the community to make requests for groceries to be delivered to them. The web page also included a call for volunteers, which_________gained over 1,000 sign-ups within the first week.

As the pandemic continued to worsen in New York, Invisible Hands Deliver witnessed a great deal of support from_________individuals with similar beliefs. When a request was submitted on the website, it was_________to all volunteers in the neighbourhood, so that anyone who was_________could come to help. The delivery itself was__________, since volunteers had been instructed to leave the bags of groceries outside the seniors’ doors. All volunteers__________strict safety rules. Like the wearing of medical gloves.

Following its success in New York, the platform__________its operations to Philadelphia and other areas of America. Inspired by their acts of kindness, similar networks have__________worldwide.

In a time when the pandemic forced people apart, the__________and able youths played a leading role in bridging the__________and bringing communities together.

As a community worker, I came into serious conflict with my community last week, and things completely fell apart between me and my community. As a result, I ________ to step away from them, blocked them on social media and did my best to ________ about them. However, the issues continued to ________ me, and even had a bad ________ on other areas of my life.

Yesterday, I was ________ to see this community and held a ________ because of a major work event. I was still in fear of the issues and felt ________ when I first saw the people I ________ with. Despite all of this, the strangest but most ________ thing happened to me. I felt something that I hadn’t felt in a long time, peace and forgiveness.

At the meeting, there were no ________ or conflicts with anyone. It was ________ that a lot of people had ________ from the issues. I realized that there wasn’t anything to worry about anymore. No one ________ bad will on me, and no one was holding anger against me anymore. There was peace, and room for people to forgive and move on.

When you ________ others, you not only free them and find peace with them, but yourself as well. Now, I only wish them the best life that they can have, and the most ________ they could ever have. And then, I move on.

Here’s a black walnut (黑胡桃) tree in my backyard. I’ve been in an 18-year love-hate _________ with it. It’s a unique tree. In late September or early October, falling fruits as hard as baseballs ___________ the heads of you. Patio (露台) umbrellas are a must while dining in the garden in early August, and because of the volume of fruit this season, I wear my bike ___________while working in the garden.

The black walnut also releases a chemical substance through its roots as a ___________ strategy. It’s harmful to several common plants. There have been many new plant varieties that I brought home with ___________ that maybe the black walnut would accept them, but they failed to _________.   

Have I thought of getting rid of this giant pain in my tiny backyard? Yes, however, getting rid of this tree standing at 50 feet with an 87 -inch trunk is___________. It’s also protected under the law. Rightfully so. Trees are important to the urban forest and for all of those that inhabit it. Trees are_________to numerous birds and insect species and are essential for keeping our environment ___________.

Sometimes I think about my life without the black walnut. I can't imagine a spring without the birds who arrive every year and loudly sing their songs before dawn. I’d miss falling asleep on ____________weekend afternoons as I ____________ into its leaves before the nuts threaten to fall.

Every spring, I wonder what the season holds. What are the chances of being knocked __________while barbecuing? Like any good relationship, I’ll never be pleased. I’m __________with this tree. __________, my walnut offers a home to wildlife and a ____________ that acceptance, instead of resistance, is the better way to be.