School Lunches, Mothers, and the Most Important Message You Will Read Today - Guaranteed

As I was making a school lunch for my 13-year old son very early this morning, I thought about how many school lunches my mother made over her lifetime. Imagine -- a family of five kids, going to a private school that only sold lunches one day each week (Hot Dog Day!). Somebody else can do the math, but I don't want to even guess how many thousand lunches that was.

Norman Bates said, "A boy's best friend is his mother." Norman's relationship with his mother was a little bit different ... but those of us who had kind, loving mothers and have any soul whatsoever should remember how, no matter what, you could always count on your mom. My mother turns 82 in nine days. I can't imagine not having her alive.

One day years ago, Dear Abby had a sad, poignant letter from a woman who had just lost a parent. That person's biggest regret was not having told her parents how thankful she was for them and not having that last chance to say "I love you." I was so affected by the letter that I decided to write a letter to my parents, telling them how grateful I was for everything they had done for me throughout my life and how much I loved them. When my father passed away a few years ago, I was bolstered by the fact that he knew what I thought of him and what he had done for me. As a result, accepting his death was made much easier.

When I speak with my mom over the phone, she occasionally mentions that letter that I wrote so many years ago. It meant so much to her and my dad, and it still comforts her today.

Writing that letter was one of the most important things I have done in my entire life. If you have a parent or loved one who should get one of these letters, write and send it today ... not tomorrow, but today. I guarantee you that it will pay dividends far beyond what you could ever imagine.