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Vases upon vases of beautiful flowers were delivered to doorsteps, special packages of chocolates were prepared, and cards were almost completely swept off the store shelves by the day's end. (Too bad for those procrastinators who had to settle for those glitzy cards that didn't even have a matching envelope!)

Interestingly, even the tough guys celebrate the sweet loving holiday. Before Jimmy "The Gent" Burke was incarcerated for the incidents depicted in the well-known movie Goodfellas, every Mother's Day he would purchase a bouquet of flowers for each of his imprisoned friends' mothers and personally deliver the generous gifts. How charming.

Some attribute the soft spot to a mother's forte in appealing to the palate. Al Capone, the godfather of godfathers, raved about his mother's spaghetti and meat sauce. Unquestionably, his presence didn't require a dinner reservation, but why go out when the best of the best is on your own kitchen table? No doubt about it, I can attest that the way to a man's heart is through his stomach.

Moreover, many mothers often turn their heads to the shortcomings of their offspring. On a smaller scale, parents are in denial about many things in life, and we wonder why. They are blinded by the love. When your son comes for dinner every weekend and shows up with a smile and a warm hug, it's often difficult to think anything otherwise!

For families outside the "Family," Mother's Day is just as important. The Race for the Cure, a walk for breast cancer, is held every Mother's Day. Traffic stops as pink shirts, bandannas and ribbons flood the streets.

Most importantly, however, is simply sharing the day with the ones you love. No fancy dinner is necessary, no diamond necklace or shiny new car, but rather a drawing, a phone call or even a card. In the end, it truly is the thought that counts.

Remember: Life is a journey; enjoy the ride!

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