Do you remember the last time you expressed how much you love your mother? If so, when? We tend to have this habit of shying away from expressing how ______ our mother or our father is to us. I must _______ that I am not used to expressing how much I love my parents. Seldom did I say the most used three ______: I Love You.

But that ______ the moment I learned about my mother's diagnosis (诊断). When it was confirmed that my mother had stage 3 breast cancer, I knew that the ______ of beating this illness was 50/50.

However, we followed all her physician's ______. She went through the process of ______. Cancer isn't easy to ______. It took my mother two years to ______ against cancer. I also ____ how people were there to help her in any way they could— ______, morally, and even for her food. I couldn't be thankful for their ______.

Unfortunately, my mother ______ her battle. Her body had given up. It wasn't easy for me to ____. It wasn't easy not to ______ all the things she had done for me and my siblings. I regret I didn’t convey my love and my thanks to my mother who had devoted all her life to her ______.

I miss everything about my mother. And ______ I miss her more. We tend to ______ to show our gratitude to them. While your mothers are still ______, remember to appreciate their unconditional love for you. Let them ______ how much you love them. Please say I Love You to your mother today.

I remember quite well a day 17 years ago. That day, our twin sons, Chad and Brad, ______ their car and left home to attend college. I realized that our ______ would soon become a “table for two”. ______, the boys would come home on the weekends, but ______, I knew our family life would never be exactly the same again.

The boys walked around each room to ______ they hadn’t forgotten anything they needed. I packed a cooler with ______ and their favorite cold snacks. I found a box and filled it with essential ______ items. I thought they might go to bed hungry that night. I ______ my wallet and placed the little bit of ______ I had in their hands.

We all walked ______. Chad and Brad gave me big ______ and quickly got into their car. I ______ as they drove away. When their car was ______, I sat down on the driveway and cried ______ than I had cried in a long time. My husband Roy tried to ______ me, but I could see grief in his eyes as well.

There are many parents who would ______ this period. ______ feelings will be present while I cannot explain them adequately. I can still remember how I felt when we began that new ______ in our lives.

With time going by, however, Roy and I are now ______ to our table for two and we enjoy our lives together. I have to admit I still miss our children and the old ______ we had together.