7.
The Write Feeling
Growing up in a military family, I moved a lot. I mostly went to __ (1) __ with other kids whose parents were also in the military. But when my dad __ (2) _ from the Marines after twenty years of service, I found myself __ (3) __ a civilian school with twelve-year-olds who shared no similar life experience with me.
I was a stranger in a strange land. Everyone in my class had grown up together, and they had no room to _ (4) _ for a newcomer. I wore different clothes, had different thoughts, and spoke with an accent. I __ (5) _ for the first few weeks of school. I had no friends, no activities, and no __ (6) __ of a bright future. To deal with it all, I began __ (7) __ in my diary every day---stories of adventure, of old friends, of feelings that I could not speak. I wrote as if my life depended on it, as if the very next breath I took could not happen __ (8) __ I wrote down words.
One day, my teacher, Mrs. Bush, came to me and asked why I always sat there writing instead of playing with others. I told her I enjoyed writing and __ (9) __ writing to playing. She smiled at me and walked away. About three weeks later, Mrs. Bush gave us a writing assignment. I was __ (10) _ that I could now participate in something I knew I excelled in.
That night I worked and worked on the essay. I wrote with great __51__. It was my one chance to feel important and _ (11) _ by the class.
A few days after we handed in our assignments, Mrs. Bush called me up to the __ (12) __ of the classroom. I stood before thirty pairs of eyes looking at me, and I got __ (13) __. Was I in trouble? Did I do something wrong?
Then Mrs. Bush told the class how much she __55_ all the work that went into the essay and everyone had done a great job. But, she said, one student stood __ (14) _ as an excellent writer, one with imagination, creativity, and word mastery. That student was me!
The class clapped politely and Mrs. Bush handed me my paper, with the following __ (15) __ on it:"Malinda, you are an excellent writer. You fill your paper with the breathings of your heart. Please keep on writing and share your __ (16) _ of writing with the world. I am proud of you and glad you are in my class."
Mrs. Bush helped me feel a sense of __ (17) __, a place of purpose, and a way to survive a transition in life. She helped me gain __ (18) __ in myself that stayed with me beyond sixth grade.