One night，when I was eight，my mother gently asked me a question I would never forget．"Sweetie，my（16）___ wants to offer me a more important job because of my good work，but needs me to work in Brazil．This is like your teacher telling that you've done （17）___ and allowing you to skip a grade（跳级），but you'll have to（18）___ your friends．Would you say yes to your teacher？"She gave me a hug and asked me to think about it．I was puzzled．Though I said"yes"，the question kept me （19）___ for the rest of the night．I realized the（20）___ decisions adults had to make．

For almost four years，my mother would call us from Brazil every day．Every evening I'd（21）___ wait for the phone to ring and then tell her every detail of my day．A phone call，however，could never take the place of her staying home with us and it was difficult not to feel（22）___ sometimes．

During my fourth-grade Christmas holiday，we flew to Rio to visit her．Looking at her large（23）___ flat，I became aware of how lonely my mother must have been in Brazil herself．It was then that I started to understand the difficult choices she had to make on （24）___ family and work．（25）___ difficult decisions，she used to tell me，you wouldn't know whether you make the right choice，but you could always do the best out of the situation．

When I returned home，I （26）___ myself that what my mother could do，I could，too．If she （27）___ to live well in Rio all by herself，I，too，could learn to depend all on myself．I learn how to take care of myself and achieve big but practical （28）___．

My mother is now back with us．But I will never forget what the （29）___ has really taught me．The separation（分离） between us has proved to be a（an）（30）___ thing for me．