Ibelievethatfamiliesarenotonlybloodrelatives，butsometimespeoplewhoshowupandloveyouwhennooneelsewill．InMay1977，IwaslivinginaHowardJohnson'smoteloffInterstate10inHouston．MydadandI（11）___aroomwithtwo

　　I believe that families are not only blood relatives，but sometimes people who show up and love you when no one else will．

　　In May 1977，I was living in a Howard Johnson's motel off Interstate 10in Houston．My dad and I （11）___ a room with two double beds and a bathroom．It was way too（12）___for a 15-year-old girl and her father．Dad's second marriage was（13）___and my stepmother had（14）___ us both out of the house the previous week．Dad had no （15）___what to do with me．And that's when my other family （16）___．

　　Barbara and Roland Beach took me into their home（17）___their only daughter，Su，my best friend，asked them to．I （18）___ with them for the next seven years．

　　Barb washed my skirts the same as Su's．She（19）___I had lunch money，doctors'appointments，help with homework and nightly hugs．Barbara and Roland attended every football game where Su and I were being cheerleaders．（20）___ I could tell，for the Beaches there was no（21）___between Su and me； I was their daughter，too．

　　When Su and I （22）___ college they kept my room the same for the entire four years I attended school．Recently，Barb presented me with an insurance policy they bought when I first moved in with them and had continued to pay on for 23years．

　　The Beaches knew （23）___ about me when they took me in-they had heard the whole story from Su．When I was seven，my mother died and from then on my father relied on other people to （24）___ his kids．By the time I went to live with the Beaches I believed that life was entirely （25）___and that love was shaky and untrustworthy．I believed that the only person who would take care of me was me．

　　（26）___the Beaches，I would have become a bitter，cynical （愤世嫉俗的） woman．They gave me a（n） （27）___that allowed me to grow and change．They kept me from being paralyzed by my （28）___，and they gave me the confidence to open my heart．

　　I（29）___ family．For me，it wasn't the family that was there on the day I was（30）___，but the one that was