How old was I? I can’t remember. Maybe I was only 10. It was the first    16   without my father because he was away for something. He left me to fill that sad place in my mother’s heart. It was the Christmas when I stopped being a    17   and tried to play Father Christmas myself. I really wanted to make it happy and bright again. It was the Christmas of the    18  .
Mom first saw the coat at Tobias, a nice    19   shop in our town’s little shopping mall. It was dark green. And it was a    20  , heavy, wool dress coat. Mom pulled it out from the rack(架) and held it up. “Long enough,” she said in a low voice and    21  .
“I need a new coat,” Mom smiled before the mirror. She looked good on any clothes,       22   this coat suited her much better. She looked at the    23  , then hung the coat back on the rack, standing there once more to    24   
Eighty-seven dollars. But I decided to buy it for her. As we moved on    25  the mall, I found some excuse to return and asked one of the Tobias ladies to    26   the coat.
I helped clean every yard(庭院) in our neighbourhood—some yards twice, and soon I got the coat. The store ladies helped me put it in their biggest    27   with bright blue paper and thick silver ribbon(丝带). I don’t remember    28   I got it home, but I can still feel the wonderful    29   and pride that filled me. I would imagine the big space which the box would take up under our tree. Here it was—joy, peace and    30  —all in the box, waiting for Mom’s surprise.

Six-year-old Brandon decided to make pancakes for his parents. He should first take the flour(面粉), so he   46  the cupboard and pulled out the heavy flour bag. He put some flour   47  the bowl with his hands, mixed in a cup of milk and added some sugar.
Soon Brandon was  48  flour and getting frustrated, He wanted this to be   49  for Mum and Dad, but it was getting very bad. He didn't know what to do   50 .
Suddenly he saw his cat near the bowl and went to push it away, but he   51  the egg box to the floor. He tried to   52  but slipped(滑倒) on the eggs, getting his clothes   53 . Just then, he saw his dad standing at the door.
Brandon's eyes were full of tears. He was   54  his dad would beat him, but his father didn't.   55 , he picked up his crying son and kissed him.
That's what we sometimes face in   56 . We try to do something good, but it turns into a mess. Sometimes we just   57  there in tears because we can't think of anything else to do. Hopefully, that's   58  someone close to us picks us up, loves us and forgives us. But we can't    59  trying to "make pancakes" for "Dad" or for others. Sooner or later we'll get it   60 , and then they'll be glad we tried.

Six-year-old Brandon decided to make pancakes for his parents. He should first take the flour(面粉), so he   46  the cupboard and pulled out the heavy flour bag. He put some flour   47  the bowl with his hands, mixed in a cup of milk and added some sugar.

Soon Brandon was  48  flour and getting frustrated, He wanted this to be   49  for Mum and Dad, but it was getting very bad. He didn't know what to do   50 .

Suddenly he saw his cat near the bowl and went to push it away, but he   51  the egg box to the floor. He tried to   52  but slipped(滑倒) on the eggs, getting his clothes   53 . Just then, he saw his dad standing at the door.

Brandon's eyes were full of tears. He was   54  his dad would beat him, but his father didn't.   55 , he picked up his crying son and kissed him.

That's what we sometimes face in   56 . We try to do something good, but it turns into a mess. Sometimes we just   57  there in tears because we can't think of anything else to do. Hopefully, that's   58  someone close to us picks us up, loves us and forgives us. But we can't    59  trying to "make pancakes" for "Dad" or for others. Sooner or later we'll get it   60 , and then they'll be glad we tried.