It was a beautiful day when the big old faded blue Ford LTD pulled to the curb. You could see the driver take a deep breath of the fresh morning air through the open window.

When the door opened, an older gentleman swung his legs around to put them on the ground outside the door of the car. As the man pushed himself up from the seat, he reached across the front seat to grab an ebony cane. After standing, the man looked at the cane and his destination, shook his head, and put the cane back into the car before gently closing the door of the big car.

The man opened the driver's side back door and pulled out what appeared to be a huge bouquet of flowers. He was smiling when he closed the rear door and turned to look at where he was going.

In a slow measured shuffle, the old gentleman limped his way between large concrete and marble objects to stand in front a huge family tombstone. There were already five names on it, but there was room for more. He stepped to the tombstone and pulled the large bouquet apart, making three smaller bouquets. After placing the three beneath names, he turned and went to a concrete bench that had been placed at the foot of the gravesite. When the man sat down, he let out a sigh and just stared at the tombstone.

The old guy rubbed his freshly shaved chin, pulled his suspenders out and let them snap back before leaning forward, placing his hands on his knees.

"Hi Mom, happy Mother's Day. I know you and dad are happy together now, but I sure have missed you. I imagine you're playing scrabble with Dad, Susan, and Martha the same as we used to do. It seems like a good day to tell you how great a mom you were to Susan and me. There was no one who could cook like you, not even my Martha. You were tough on us kids, those paddlings made us behave better, and they helped us grow up to be better adults. Mom, I know I've thanked you many times, but the sweater you made me before I went off to school was one of the nicest gifts I've ever received. You know I was wearing it when I met Martha. It's getting pretty worn, but I still have it and wore it to go to the store just a few weeks ago. We have had some cold weather pretty late this year. Thanks, Mom, have a happy Mother's Day."

"Hey, Dad, just wanted to say hi. Give Mom a kiss and hug for me, okay?"

"So, Susie, are still beating everyone at Scrabble? Hope your kids come out today and talk to you. I know they miss you as I do. You were a good mom and did a good job raising those two by yourself. Losing Jeff when they were so young was tough on you, but you made it. Martha and I were happy to be a part of your and the kids' life. Happy Mother's Day, Sis."

"Hey, Jeff, how're you doing? I'll bet you and Susie are all smiles. You've been gone a long time, but you're still fresh in my memory. You were a good husband and dad while you were with us. Give Susie a hug for me."

"I always like to leave the best for last, Martha. Just like our life together. We had a wonderful time when we were young and it just kept getting better. Even our last days together are special in my mind. Martha, I could never lie to you, so I'll tell you, I miss you so much. I also skipped church this morning to come see you early. I'm terribly lonely for you and think of you almost every waking moment. You were, and probably still are, the greatest mother ever. You raised Julie and Teddy to be two of the finest people I know. They are now good parents because of the way you taught them."

"Remember that time when I came home and you had both of them sitting on the floor in the corner of the kitchen? If you hadn't put your finger to your mouth to shush me, I would have been dying laughing. All I could think of was, what in the world are the two of them doing naked, sitting in the corner?"

"Well, you told me when you said, 'Will, you probably need to spank both of them before dinner. At the minimum, you need to give them one of your serious talks. The two of them were out in the yard with the hose. That wouldn't be so bad, but they were buck naked and the whole neighborhood could see them. If they like to be naked so much, they can just stay that way until bed.'"