Even though it was only October, my students were already whispering about Christmas plans. With each passing day everyone became more________waiting for the final school bell. Upon its ringing everyone would run for their coats and go home, everyone except David.

David was a small boy in ragged clothes. I had often wondered what kind of home life David had, and what kind of mother could send her son to school dressed so________ for the cold winter months, without a coat, boots, or gloves. But something made David________. I can still remember he was always ________a smile and willing to help. He always stayed after school to straighten chairs and mop the floor. We never talked much. He________just smile and ask what else he could do, then thank me for letting him stay and slowly________home.

Weeks passed and the________over the coming Christmas grew into restlessness until the last day of________before the holiday break. I smiled in________as the last of them hurried out the door. Turning around, I saw David quietly standing by my desk.

“I have something for you,” he said________from behind his back a small box.________it to me, he said anxiously, “Open it.” I took the box from him, thanked him and slowly unwrapped it. I lifted the lid and to my surprise I saw nothing. I looked at David’s smiling face and said, “The box is nice, David, but it’s________.”

“Oh no, it isn’t,” said David. “It’s full of love. My mum told me before she died that love was something you couldn’t see or touch unless you know it’s there.”

Tears filled my eyes________I looked at the proud dirty face that I had rarely given________to. After that Christmas, David and I became good friends and I never forgot the meaning ________the little empty box set on my desk.

The Bridge We Were Meant to Cross

My brother and I were driving home together, buried in a conversation. For lack of attention, my brother took a _______ turn towards a bridge and we had no way to turn back.

_______, he paid the bridge toll (费用) and _______. He was clearly frustrated by the mistake and the needless _______ of $ 4.

We eventually reached an exit and, as we took it, my brother _______ a black Mustang pulled over to the side of the road. A young guy was standing nearby trying to phone someone. I was busy _______ which way we went next but my brother pulled over and asked the guy if he needed any help. And he did. He had a _______ tire and needed a wrench (扳手) to get it _______.

My brother gave him a wrench, then _______ to help him change the flat. We started getting to know the young man who was from a rough neighborhood nearby. He said that this had been a ______________ week for him: earlier he had gotten into a minor car accident, and now this flat on his way home from work. But he called us “A ______________ of fresh air”, and kept thanking us because he would have been ______________ if we hadn’t ______________. After we had finished the job, he thanked us again and ______________ $ 20 and tried to give it to us. “No,” I said. “We were ______________ supposed to even get on that bridge. We took a wrong turn. But now we know why we did it. It was to help you. Thank you for turning our mistake into a(n) ______________ to serve.”

What I loved most was watching my brother throughout this ______________. He was able to turn his ______________ for the mistake into positive energy. He was able to see a chance to help (which I totally missed!) even in an otherwise ______________ situation, which can only come from a ______________ mind and an open heart.

A few years back, I suffered from a strange vertigo health issue, which caused me to feel dizzy. Around that time, I had to travel to North Carolina for a business trip that I could not _________. My wife said that she wanted to_________ me on the trip.

On our hour-long Uber ride to the airport, vertigo_________. As I sat in the front of the car, I couldn’t _________ myself. Vertigo came on in such a_________ that I threw up all over the seat. I was so_________. Quietly, I asked the Uber driver to _________ so that I could deal with the_________ I created. After some clean-up and freshwater, my wife asked me if we should_________ the trip and head back home. I told her that I felt OK and asked to go to the airport.

The Uber driver got us to the airport safely and even helped us __________ the luggage into a cart. When he was about to__________, I told him I was sorry for what happened and I thanked him for his understanding and kindness. With a__________ smile he said, “No worries, my friend. Take care.”

The Uber driver never showed a tinge of__________ or anger toward me. My wife and I were recalling the__________ of the Uber driver and were so glad that we could give him a generous __________. May his tribe grow.