I learned how to accept life as it is from my father． 1 , he did not teach me acceptance when he was strong and healthy, but rather when he was 2 and ill．
My father was 3 a strong man who loved being active, but a terrible illness 4 all that away．Now he can no longer walk, and he must sit quietly in a chair all day．Even talking is 5 ．One night, I went to visit him with my sisters．We started 6 about life, and I told them about one of my 7 ．I said that we must very often give things up 8 we grow---our youth, our beauty, our friends---but it always 9 that after we give something up, we gain something new in its place．Then suddenly my father 10 up．He said, “But, Peter, I gave up 11 !What did I gain?”I thought and thought, but I couldn’t think of anything to say． 12 , he answered his own question：“I 13 the love of my family,”I looked at my sisters and saw tears in their eyes, along with hope and thankfulness．
I was also 14 by his words．After that, when I began to feel irritated(愤怒的)at someone, I 15 remember his words and become 16 ．If he could replace his great pain with a feeling of love for others, then I should be 17 to give up my small irritations．In this 18 , I learned the power of acceptance from my father．
Sometimes I 19 what other things I could have learned from him if I had listened more carefully when I was a boy．For now, though, I am grateful for this one 20 ．
Charlie and Jackie joined a wholesale company together just after graduation．They both worked very hard．
After several years, the boss made Jackie sales manager but Charlie 1 a salesman．One day Charlie could not 2 it any more．He handed in his resignation letter(辞职信)to the boss and complained that the boss did not 3 hard working employees, but only raised those who tried to please him．He thought that it was really 4 ．
The boss knew that Charlie had spared no 5 for the company all these years, but in order to help Charlie to realize the 6 between him and Jackie, the boss asked Charlie to do the 7 ：“Go and find out if there is anyone selling watermelons in the market．”Charlie went, returned and 8 said,“Yes．”The boss asked,“How much per kg?”Charlie went back to the market to ask and returned to 9 ,“$12 per kg．”
The boss told Charlie that he would ask Jackie the 10 question．Jackie went, returned and said,“Boss, only one person selling watermelons．$12 per kg, $100 for 10 kg．He has a 11 of 340 melons．On the table are 58 melons, and every melon weighs about 15 kg, 12 from the South two days ago．They are fresh, red and of good 13 ．”
Charlie was 14 and he realized the difference between himself and Jackie．He decided not to 15 but to learn from Jackie．
My dear friends, you know, a more 16 person is more observant, thinks more and understands in 17 ．For the same matter, he sees several years ahead, 18 you see only tomorrow．The difference between a year and a day is 365 times, so how could you 19 ?
Think：how far have you seen ahead in your life?How 20 are you?
