After Mom died, I began visiting Dad every morning before I went to work. He was weak and moved slowly, but he always had a glass of freshly squeezed orange juice on the kitchen table for me, along with an unsigned note reading, “Drink your juice.” Such a gesture, I knew, was as far as Dad had ever been able to go in expressing his love. In fact, I remember, as a kid I had questioned Mom “Why doesn’t Dad love me?” Mom frowned (皱眉). “Who said he doesn’t love you?!” “Well, he never tells me.” I complained. “He never tells me either,” she said, smiling. “But look how hard he works to take care of us, to buy us food and clothes, and to pay for this house. That’s how your father tells us he loves us.”

I nodded slowly. I understood in my head, but not in my heart. I still wanted my father to put his arms around me and tell me he loved me. Dad owned and operated a small scrap metal (收破烂金属) business, and after school I often hung around while he worked. The machine that he used looked like a giant pair of scissors with blades (刃) thicker than my father’s body. If he didn’t feel those terrifying blades just right, he risked serious injury. “Why don’t you hire someone to do that for you?” Mom asked Dad one night as she bent over him and rubbed his aching shoulders with a strong smelling liniment (搽剂). “Why don’t you hire a cook?” Dad asked, giving her one of his rare smiles.

Many years later, during my first daily visit, after drinking the juice my father had squeezed for me, I walked over, hugged him and said, “I love you, Dad.” From then on I did this every morning. My father never told me how he felt about my hugs, and there was never any expression on his face when I gave hugs to him.

For the past few years, Jennifer and Tim Hegseth of Northfield, Minnesota, wanted to correct the course of their family’s lifestyle, but they didn’t know how to change.

Jennifer, 46, is an airline pilot who is on the road three days a week. When she’s gone, her 47-year-old husband, Tim, who works full time, ferries their children, Sam, 11, and Ella, 7, to all their after-school activities including various sports.

In the past, Tim often grabbed fast-food meals or whipped up quick frozen dinners for himself and the kids. He has a sedentary(久坐的)job and rarely found time to exercise. Jennifer tried to go to the hotel gyms when she was away from home, but it wasn’t enough physical activity to keep her weight in check.

By late December, the couple felt out of shape and wanted to make some changes. “I want my family to get moving.” Jennifer said.

So the Hegseths volunteered to participate in this year’s Family Fitness Challenge. The ongoing project is being produced in partnership with USA Weekend and “The Doctors” TV show.

More than 400 families applied to take part in the challenge. Six families were chosen, and they were paired with a fitness expert from the American College of Sports Medicine and a registered dietitian from the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. The families have been working with their professionals since early January.

The Hegseths are now walking a couple miles at the local high school. “Sam and I go every Friday. We talk about his week at school. It’s a bonding time,” she said.

It was time for Mr. Rocco to shut up the shop when I hurried into the flower shop. “Now, what is it you want? ” Mr. Rocco turned to me. “I want the most beautiful flower you have” I replied. “And just how much do you have to pay for this most beautiful flower? ” I held out a wet hand showing a quarter and dime. He nodded, and then showed me a plant on the counter. “I can give you this one for 35 cents, ” he said. “Aw, gee, ” I protested, “it looks like a weed (草)!” About 18 inches high, the plant was in a small pot covered with faded red paper. “Now trust me, boy-I promise that tomorrow morning when you get up, you will find your most beautiful flower,” said Mr. Rocco. I knew him to be a good honest man, so I agreed to take it.

It was almost midnight when I arrived home. Mum was seriously sick and using the front bedroom. I looked in to see if she was asleep, and then quietly tiptoed in and set the plant on the table beside her bed. I wanted her to be surprised when she woke on Mother’s Day.

The next morning, I dressed and hurried downstairs. The sun was shining through the kitchen window as I looked into Mum’s room and glanced over at the table where the plant was. My goodness! There were three big yellow trumpet shaped blooms. It was just like Mr. Rocco said -the most beautiful flower I ever saw! When I looked at Mum, she was smiling as tears streamed down her cheeks. She held out her hand for me to come near, then pulled me close and hugged me till it hurt. Then, remembering her contagious condition and that she wasn’t supposed to touch me, she quickly let me go.

My dear mum died the next night. The moment she hugged me turned out to be the most wonderful moment of my life. Not only had that beautiful plant helped show just how much I loved her, but I’d always know how much she loved me.