I’ve been running my whole life. At first, it was to tell on（告发） my brother for stealing cookies and then running to escape the cookie stealer as he ______ toward me. I ran through my teenage years and college as a(n) ______ and cost-effective way to stay fit. I ______ to run through adulthood as motherhood, career and hobbies kept me in constant ______. Running was a fun ______— something to be done quickly and ______ so I could get back to my busy life.

Despite my perseverance (坚持不懈), running never became ______ a hobby for me. Never running more than three miles at a time, I hadn’t the ______ to think about anything more than a 5km. It wasn’t until I was overcome with temporary mental disorder that I was ______ to step outside of my comfort zone and ______ to run a half marathon.

My running partners picked me up at my door, and we fell into a ______ jog. I took it slow, one mile, then two. Gradually, I fell in step beside my new friends. We talked about our favorites, and ______ funny stories about our children. By the time we were running 12-mile races, I knew I’d made ______ friends.

The day of the ______ finally arrived. At the start line, armed with my friends, I already felt like a champion. My time training had ______ . I felt ______ and strong. I held a steady pace and kept up with my ______ as long as I could. By mile 10, I began to ______ and told my trusty running mates to go on without me. As ______, they gently slowed their pace to fall in line with me. Legs shaking and knees buckling ( 弯曲 ), we finally ______ the finish line together.

"Meow, meow, meow," is what I heard as I walked through the alley（小巷；胡同）. I approached the noise and noticed a tail sticking out from under a piece of wood. Under the wood was a _______ black and white cat. I picked him up and _______ he must be freezing to death. I _______ home with the cat held in my jacket.

My new best friend, who soon became known as Little Bit, received his name because he was almost _______ when I held him in my hands. He stood about five inches tall. Little Bit's small size had a great advantage - he _______ perfectly in the pocket of my jacket, which made _______ him everywhere very easy. Any time I was home, he wouldn't leave my _______. He was always eager to play with me. When I fell asleep at night, he would always _______ up around my head to ensure that I was warm.

Unfortunately, I grew up. My teenage life _______ my relationship with Little Bit. I lived at such a fast pace that I stopped ________ time for him. My free time was spent with my friends instead. I would come in the house on my phone and not ________ him at all. His meows became an annoyance to me, but it wasn't his ________ that he wanted his best friend back.

Time had caused a ________ to Little Bit. His body began ________ down and by the time I realized something was wrong with him, he had already lost his balance. He lay there and looked at me, and ________ this day I still remember the ________ look in his bright green eyes. I took him to the vet (兽医), but there was nothing he could do. The last time I ________ him he wasn't the same tiny cat I had found ten years before. Little Bit filled my arms and he was put to sleep that day.

Little Bit's ________ made me realize how much he meant to me. He was always there for me when I needed him. I ________ our last years together and I feel sorry for not always being there for him. I will always ________ the special memories we made.

Post-It Notes and poster board may seem like nothing more than standard school supplies. However, in Erin Castillo’s hands, they are a powerful mental health ______.

Here’s the way it ______: About once a week, the high school teacher ______ the “mental health check-in board.” The board instructs students to write their ______ on the back of a sticky note and then ______ it next to one of six coloured hearts. The hearts are ______ “I’m great,” “I’m OK,” “I’m struggling,” “I’m struggling and need a check-in,” and “I’m in a dark place,” and allow the students a ______ way to describe and share their feelings before class starts.

Then, during independent study time, she ______ one-on-one with students about their sticky notes. Some kids just need ______ or a listening ear, but for those who are more ______ or dealing with a serious issue, she says she has a variety of ______ ready and waiting to help them, such as the school psychologist they can see that very day.

She got the idea for the ______ after a couple of weeks where many of her students kept telling her they were having a bad week. While she was ______ they were sharing, she needed more ______ to help them—and the board was born. “I didn’t want to miss any student that might be struggling, and this was a way to easily ______ how everyone was feeling,” she says.