There are times in our lives when we encounter experiences that surprise us and allow us to reflect on how beautiful human beings are, if only we allow them to show us their tender side.

I have one indelible memory forever etched in my deepest heart. My beautiful mother Rosario and I would faithfully complete the nine-day dawn Masses, a prelude to Christmas every year. It was a ritual we always looked forward to as she lived with me in Magallanes Village when she was widowed.

My mother would gently nudge me to wake up so we could make the 4 a.m. dawn Mass. We would do the 10-minute walk from our house to the St. Alphonsus Mary de Liguori Church, which allowed us the time of just being together in the quiet of dawn. It was, to me, such a blessed time with my mother.

But what I faithfully remember about these early mornings was when I came down to join my mother, she would have a cup of piping hot coffee for me, the delicious aroma still lingering in my memory. I would savor every sip. That cup of coffee she daily gave me for nine consecutive days represented to me a mother's constant love and affection. The only one thing important in our lives. It showed me her thoughtfulness and care — not with words, but by the simple act of the one cup of coffee. I was, to my mother, a good daughter who deserved a good cup of the best brew. It meant the world to me. My mother, my hero, regarded me with love and respect.

Even today, years after my mother left this earth, I remember her loving act of kindness every time I get a whiff of coffee. It means kindness. It represents compassion. Most of all, it means a mother's constant love for a daughter.

It is the singular most precious act that I shall never forget up to my last breath. Often when I feel the weight of life's pressures and obligations, that one cup of coffee saves the day for me. It lifts my spirits and clears my head to face life's challenges head on.

I wish all mothers around the world a blessed Mother's Day! I pray that our children will always treasure us with love, respect, understanding and tender care. The only one thing that counts.