学进去

He stood on the comer looking a lot like Santa Claus, a smile on his face and a cup outstretched in his hands. I smiled _______ and asked if he was _______, "Would you like to go somewhere and share a sandwich?" He _______ with a bigger smile and a resounding （夸张的）YES.

His name is Aed. We went together to a comer bakery and then _______ the next hour, he very slowly ate his sandwich, _______ with deep delight on each bite as he _______ his story with me.

He was one of the few hand pruners（修剪树枝者）still trying to work. He spoke lovingly and with deep _______ about all sorts of plants and trees and how to properly _______ them. Much like humans, each one required kindness and _______.

He spoke of his time ________ in Vietnam and how the war forever ________ him. He spoke about a pathway diverged（分开）but then ________. He spoke about his philosophy on life that we all have gifts to ________ and we all have the ________ to be happy even without a place to call home. His blue eyes ________ brighter and brighter.

I asked if I could hug him. ________ resounding YES. And then we hugged a second and third time，each one a bit ________ and a bit more joyful.

Aed gave me a gift that day. It was the gift of his story. We ________ in touch now and again via email; he is a（n） ________ man. So, the next time you see someone on a comer with an outstretched hand, ________ out and gently take it. You may receive the bigger gift.