It was when my now 19yearold daughter Shanna was in Grade 3.All students in her class
were given a small pot with a __1__ seed to plant.
Once the bean plants had __2__,their teacher allowed the kids to __3__ move it from school
to home.Once home,Shanna looked around for the __4__ location and settled it on a sunny
south window sill (窗台) and then __5__ declared,'Soon I can feed the whole family!'
Shanna's sisters were envious and even our cat looked __6__,which should have been a warning
to me __7__ when I woke up the next morning,I saw that the bean plant had been unkindly knocked
__8__ the window sill.Its leaves were broken and except for a thread of stem that still __9__ the
roots to the flowering top;it was quite unrecognizable from the day before.It seemed to be __10__.
I feared for what I had to tell Shanna but her __11__ was not what I expected.She said,'Everything will be okay,Mom;the plant will get __12__.'
Quickly she took the first aid kit (急救箱) from the bathroom,__13__ with bandages and a deep
belief that the sad looking,neardead bean plant would live and even produce __14__ !
I went along with it and __15__ her to wrap bandages.Days later,to my __16__,the bean plant
was standing tall and looking lively.We were able to __17__ the bandages.
My daughter never quite understood my __18__ over the meaning of the bean plant.I work with
kids that all greatly need people to trust them.Now whatever I have been told about children and their
behavior,I __19__ everyone with the same eyes and heart that my daughter used on her __20__ bean
plant.
Later that week,I came across a sentence:From a little spark,may burst a flame.