Like most people these days，I can't imagine life without e-mail. But there's something about a letter，something more personal，more meaningful.

During my freshman year of college I was _____ . I loved to sing，and I was cast as the lead in the fresh play. The _____ didn't allow much time for studying，and then there were _____ to make and parties to go to. _____ my straight A average in high school，I didn't have good study habits. My first college report card _____ it. I sat on my dorm-room bed，staring at C's and D's.

I knew my parents had gotten a copy of my _____. My mother was an advocate for women's education. My dad ran his own business and was a leader of the community. They'd been so _____ I was following in their footsteps. I could have called home，but long-distance calls were expensive then. _____ ，telling my parents“I'm so sorry I've disappointed you”hardly seemed _____ .

I got two letters from the student union. My dad's letter was typed on his business paper. I could hear his voice，quiet，______ and kind.“I understand you are struggling. We have all been there. We all fail sometimes. We ______ ourselves and our family. ______ those who deserve to be at the top, when they fail, get right back up to the top again. And I know you will.”Dad wasn't ______ of me. He believed I could succeed. If only I had believed in myself as he did!

Then I opened the envelope from Mom. As I read, the miles between us disappeared and her words went straight to my _____ “I suspect you are ______ burdens. Perhaps you feel guilty about ______ that you are not proud of. This is the time when everything we' ve taught you — persistence, forgiveness and diligence — will ______ .”

I did, often. College got much better. My grades ______ . I joined a group that sang at dinners and concerts.

A letter can change the ______ . The message is simple and true: letters can touch our lives mysteriously and ______ .

   Several years ago，we planned to move out of the city and buy a country house. The first ___________ was finding a suitable country house that we could afford. We started to ___________ the real estate（房地产）listings online and thought we had found a really ___________ one. My wife Catherine went to look at it. I was expecting a positive result. ___________，my wife told me the house wasn't suitable for us at all. While this was not the ___________ of the world，it prevented us from carrying out our plans as we had expected. So，what did we do？Could we ___________ and decide to stay where we were？No. We decided to ___________ looking.

To make a long story ___________，it took us two years of weekly visits to the real estate listings before we ___________ found three houses that might be suitable. The next ____________ seemed obvious-we had to take some time off work and drive down to ____________ these houses. So，off we went and after 15 hours of steady driving，we ____________.The next three days were tight-looking，then looking again and then finally making an ____________. The final story has a ____________ ending-we found our house，and ____________ several months later.

Sometimes, ____________ show up out of nowhere to destroy the best of plans, and some of these difficulties can be the final play. ____________, if you adopt the philosophy that every obstacle has a solution, then you can find your ____________ through. Obstacles will appear no matter who you are or what you are trying to ____________, but it is only those who know there is a solution and keep digging until they find it that will ____________ one day.

   I was stepping out of my office with a complex feeling. That was my _____ day in my office. I was _____ about what was going on in my mind. My staff members wished me many good wishes. I _____ with a smile. For the last time, I returned to my table again and _____ the board, which read “CEO” below my name. I read it and sighed deeply.

One month passed. I tried my best to _____ myself to a new life which was a bit _____. After all, I had no office or routine (常规的) life. Though I got enough job offers, I _____ them all. I didn’t know why I was no longer interested in a job. _____, one day I was anxious to visit my ex-office. So, I went there immediately. When I got there, some of my colleagues were _____. I met others, but I felt as if I ______ something. They greeted me and talked to me, but showed less ______ for me. Everything seemed very casual to me.

With a ______ heart, I left the office for a nearby park. Sitting on a bench, I ______ every single person moving around there. Slowly, I realized no one was at fault. It was my disillusion (幻灭)of ______ and position of my past days. I think ______ people must be feeling the same if they don’t ______ specific work after retirement (退休).

It was my good day in that park. While ______ on the bench, I heard a kid saying to his friend, “What is this? Why are you ______ about yesterday’s incident? ______ it! Let it go. Let’s play together again.” This “Let it go” is the best way to make your ______ cool!