I guess a boss must be pleased to hear that his employees are sorry to hear he’s leaving and that they respected him and appreciated the job he’d done. Cards and emails are great, but maybe it’s just ______ heartwarming to know that kind words are being said ______“behind your back”．

I like to do the ______ for my students. Of course I give them my own compliments, but I love to let them know when other adults have ______ their good behavior and attitudes. I want them to know that we aren’t spending our lunch and meeting times ______ about them all the time! I want them to know that we often express our ______ in working with this ______ group of kids, and I want them to know why!

I ______ myself when someone finds how my teenage grandchildren are turning into such fine young people. Then it’s absolutely ______ to let them know it too! I want them to know that people notice them, and that it ______ when what they notice is good and praiseworthy.

I’ve known, from the other side, how much this can ______. I often lack confidence in my own abilities as a teacher, so it gave me quite a ______ when a friend who works with families in the community ______ that he has heard several times from parents how glad they are to have their kids in my class. It just feels more important ______ to have the words said by people who don’t know I’ll ever hear — when they can be ______ honest. Great to hear it and great to ______!

Sure, it’s pleasant when we can say nice things about other people. It feels good! And I think it’s a ______ compliment for people to know of the times when others are saying nice things even ______ ear shot.

Watch for your next opportunity to be the ______! Make sure to tell them about the nice things being said behind their backs! Because how will they know ______ we tell them.

I experienced a day when I was extraordinarily clumsy. I’m never a picture of _________ , but not so clumsy. On this particular day. I seemed to be _________ everything. It was an old church, and the floor was not _________ in some places, so my fall was the floor’s fault. But when I fell again on my way out to the car and yet again in my own home, I began to grow _________ . Had I let myself get so stressed out that I had _________ become sick?

Having been raised by devoted Christian parents who also worked in the mental-health field, I tended to look for spiritual and emotional reasons before I headed to the local _________ . I started to take the calming practice that _________ a yoga pose with a breath prayer. I went to _________ more comfortable clothes for the exercise, and as I removed my shoes, I was _________ !

I wasn’t having a stroke at all. I had completely worn out my favorite pair of sandals. The soles (鞋底) of both shoes were split in two! I had ____________ all the possibilities to figure out what was causing my clumsiness. It never occurred to me to check my soles.

So often when we start to feel ____________ , we look for ways to make things better. But just as it never occurred to me to check the soles of my shoes, our own souls are the very ____________ thing we think of to check. Take a moment to remember the last time you sat still, meditating (冥想). If you can’t remember when that was, it might be a(n) ____________ .

The local cobbler (鞋匠)said my soles were irreparable. We had a good ____________ , but it was time to let them go. Fortunately for us, our souls can be mended and restored-once we realize they are in need of ____________ .

A few years ago, I walked into Panera and placed my order. After I paid and filled my plastic cup with water, I walked further into the cafe. As I sat down, I ________ an older man eating his soup alone. The chair in his front was ________: he wasn’t saving the seat. He was genuinely eating all alone. As this fact settled in, a feeling of sadness began to ________ me. Why was he eating alone? Was he lonely?

This wasn’t the first time I’d felt ________ when spotting someone eating alone. I ________ assume they’re lonely and need someone to be there for them. For some reason, eating with others is the ________. Modern society has evolved to the point ________ most people do almost every activity together. If we’re getting lunch after class, we’d rather ________ to see if someone will come with us. But is it possible we just don’t want to appear lonely?

Many people are always ________ someone else, and that may make people think we always need someone with us to feel ________ about ourselves. But that’s not true. We can enjoy being alone— not everyone needs to be ________ surrounded by friends to be happy. And we shouldn’t be ________ to eat alone if that’s what we want to do.

I don’t think I’ll ever not get sad if I see someone eating alone, but I’ll ________ in mind that maybe they just want a ________ from the world, or maybe they prefer it that way. It’s important to ________ seeing someone doing something alone doesn’t always mean they’re lonely.