Senior high school began with meeting new friends, which was the most exciting part of that period. However, I noticed the _________ from junior high school right away since students around me were trying their best to get good _________.

It was surprising for me to _________ that my friends were no longer willing to meet very often after school. This made me _________ that perhaps I failed to know the true _________ of the three years of high school. I should state that it became especially _________after I talked to my best friend. He told me that he was really _________ because I seemed to have no plan when it came to _________ for college. To be completely honest, he was right.

_________ for me, my best friend was wise and able to explain his point of __________to me. Also, he offered to spend time studying with me and getting me ready for the test to make sure I did not __________anything meaningful from the textbook. This was surprising for me since I was __________ that activities like reading textbooks could not be enjoyable. I was wrong, and this __________ taught me that having fun in high school does not just mean going to parties or spending time in cafés. Instead, you can have a( n) __________experience that will also be worthwhile for your future.

I am glad that I was able to learn from this situation. Now, I am studying harder to __________ more knowledge and try to understand which subjects I am most interested in to find out what I want to study in the future.

In the corner of my desk is a note, slowly yellowing from time. It is a card from my mother, with enough impact to _______ my life forever. In it, she praises my abilities as a writer. The word “but” never _______; however, the word “and” is there many times.

Every time I read it, I am _______ to ask myself how many times I’ve “but-ted” my own   _______.

Although our eldest daughter usually got all As, teachers would always suggest that she _______ too much in class. I always forgot to ask them if she was making _______. Instead, I would _______ her with, “Congratulations! Your Dad and I are very _______, but could you try to talk less in class?”

I’ve noticed that other _______ do the same thing. “The hockey team won, but Mike should have made that last ________.” “Amy’s the homecoming queen, but now she wants to buy a new dress.” But, but, but.

What I ________ from my mother is to start thinking “and, and, and”. For example: “The hockey team won, and Mike did his best the whole ________.” “Amy’s the homecoming queen, and she’s going to look ________!”

“But” feels bad, “and” feels good. When our children feel ________ about what they are doing, they do more of it.

This is not to say that children don’t need or won’t ________ their parents’ ________. They do and they will. When those expectations are ________, amazing things happen.

“No more buts!” is a(n) ________ to put our attention on what is ________ about our children.

And if I ever forget, I have my mother’s ________ to remind me.