At the age of forty-five, my usually well-ordered life became full of changes. After twenty-two years of working in a _______, a plan to use less staff led to the unemployment (失业) of over one hundred people, I being one of them.

My once secure (稳妥的) future became _______. However, I was not a single parent, _______ the family did not depend only on my income (收入). My motto has always been “Change is good; change is progress,” but when it influenced my livelihood (生计，生活), I had to change it to, “_______ change and make the most of it.” From the beginning, I _______ to look at this matter not as _______ luck, but as a welcome chance. I refused to become sorry, _______, I actively planned to do something new and different.

Having a positive attitude (积极的态度) made all the difference in the way I formed the future. First, I decided to _______ to college and graduate many years later than I should have. Doing this at my age needed more _______. Not being a graduate had never held me back in my career in the bank, but now it was a personal goal I was eager (渴望) to achieve. With a lot of determination, I went to evening classes and became an adult ________. In the class, I became more and more ________. During this time, I realized that ________ life throws in our way, personal growth never stops.

The second thing I did to improve myself was to reevaluate (再评估) my past life. It used to be filled with endless and sometimes meaningless events. But now, my heart and life are completely around people I ________.

The loss of my job led to some ________ changes in my life. Revisiting (再访，重游) the past made room for the ________. I realize that I have accepted the change, and am making the most of it.

The first day of school a new classmate touched my shoulder, “Hi, I’m Rose. I am 87 years old. Can I give you a hug?” I turned around and found a little ______ lady with a warm smile. I said heartily, “Of course!”

“______ are you in college at such an age?” I asked.

She joked, “I’m here to meet a rich husband, get married(结婚), have ______ and then travel around. ”

“You’re not seriously expecting me to believe that?” I said.

“I always ______ of having a college education and now I’m getting one!” she told me.

Over the year, Rose became an icon(偶像) and she easily made friends. She loved to dress up and she enjoyed the attention of the others. At the end of the term we invited Rose to our football party. I’ll never forget what she ______ .

“We do not stop playing because we are old; we grow old because we stop playing.

Here are the ______ to staying young. You have to laugh and find humor every day. You’ve got to have a dream. When you ______ your dreams, you die! There’s a huge difference ______ growing old and growing up. Anybody can grow older. That doesn’t take any talent or ability. But ______ requires finding the chance in change. Have no regrets (遗憾). ”

One week after graduation(毕业) that year, Rose died peacefully in her sleep. She taught us by example that it’s never too ______ to be all you can possibly be.

Karen found out that she was going to have another baby. Like any good mother, she did ________ she could do to help her 3-year-old son, Michael, prepare for a new life. The new baby was going be a girl, and Michael sang to his ________ in Mommy’s stomach from morning till night every day.

Finally, Michael’s sister was born, ________ she was sick and was sent to the hospital. The days went by and the little baby got ________. The doctor told the parents, “There is very little ________ . Be prepared for the worst.” They kept the baby girl in the ICU. Michael, however, kept ________ his parents to let him see his sister. “I want to ________ to her,” he said. Two weeks passed. It seemed that the worst time would come for the baby. Karen decided to take Michael to his sister. She thought this might be the ________ time for him to see her alive. When Karen led Michael to his sisters bedside, he ________ the baby and began to sing softly in the ________ voice of a 3-year-old boy, Michael sang, “You are my sunshine, my only sunshine, you make me happy when skies are grey.” ________ the baby girl moved and her pulse rate (脉搏) became calm. All the people were shocked to see that.

“Keep on singing, Michael,” Karen ________ him with tears in her eyes. “You never know, dear, how much I love you. Please don’t take my sunshine ________,”Little by little, as Michael sang to his sister, the baby was relaxed.

After a few days, the little girl was ________ enough to go home! Women’s Day Magazine called ________ “the miracle (奇迹) of a brother’s song”.

Never give up the people you love!