My parents live 9 hours away, so I don't get to spend a lot of time with my mom. Recently, my dad was diagnosed with a neurological condition that required a specialist he couldn't find in the small rural town in which they live, so my dad has been in the hospital down here for 2 1/2 weeks. I know it's unbelievably hard on my dad, but it's also really difficult for my mom (who has spent at least 8 hours/day in the hospital with him) and me. So I've decided to give both my mom and myself a present every day of the last week.

Day 1: Mom -- Spider Solitaire; me -- an hour by myself
Day 2: Mom -- butterscotch pudding from the cafeteria; me -- chocolate pudding from the cafeteria
Day 3: Mom -- a car ride down mainstreet without any pressing concerns; me -- see previous
Day 4: Mom -- my Thanksgiving stuffing; me -- Mom's mashed potatoes
Day 5: Mom -- a trip to Dollar Tree for cheap Christmas ornaments; me -- a live Christmas tree
Day 6: Mom -- no football on TV for most of the day; me -- watching the whole Notre Dame game without trying to multitask
Day 7: Mom -- an mid-afternoon nap; me -- staying up late and watching old episodes of Friends

Truthfully, making things a little easier on my mom was the best part of this. Learning to let go a little is a great lesson for me, but getting a chance to give back a little to my mom was more important.