Ten years ago today, July 17, 1999, my mother, Arlene Black Hughes passed away. As I walked through the cemetery near my home this morning, I thought about her and the impact she made on me.

As a 7 year old, confined to bed, no television, no video games, no internet, I discovered, thanks to my Mom, the joy of reading and the world it opens up.

She brought me books, simple ones at first and then more challenging ones, until I was reading books that many of those my age probably have not even read today. As I finished each book, she would sit and discuss what I had read, what I understood and explored the various topics, helping reinforce what I had just experienced.

In her last years she came to live with me and my wife, Jeanie, who became her main caregiver. Jeanie was attending college and Mom, who had never had the chance to go, went to classes with her. As Jeanie cooked dinner at the end of a long day, Mom would sit and read the assigned reading to her. On test day, Mom would ask, "What grade did we get."

I just want to say, "Thanks Mom, for opening the world of literature and literacy to me."

I know she would be very proud to know that today Jeanie and I are writing and publishing books that will help others learn to read and guides that ask those same questions Mom asked and reinforce the reading, just like she would....