We asked readers to give the gift of honesty this Mother's Day. Finally, moms will find out what happened to the Tupperware, the escaped family pet and that bottle of whiskey in the cabinet.

© St. Petersburg Times, published May 13, 2001

Dear Mother,

[Times art: Don Morris]

Remember my severe poison ivy rash about 30 years ago? I woke you to show you how the welts covered my face and hands, while the rest of my body was strangely unmarred. That was because the evening before, I thought I would arrange a vacation from school, so I crushed the leaves and rubbed them all over my little face. Instead of the pampering that usually went with being sick at our house, you slathered me with Calamine lotion and sent me to school with the usual hug. I looked like a walking strawberry dipped in cream cheese.

I'm still itching to know how you knew!

Angela Davis Tartaglia

Palm Harbor

Dear Mom,

It has been more than 10 years, and now I can tell you about a fib. Do you remember on my birthday you invited my husband, Howard, and me to have a spaghetti dinner? Howard asked me who was cooking it. I told him you would. He said, tell Mom we have other plans.

I just couldn't hurt your feelings. So I said Howard and I will be there if Delores makes the spaghetti because she knows what spices Howard likes. Not true, Mom. We all knew for years that you were the worst cook in the neighborhood.

My Mother's Day gift to you is the cookbook Delores used to make those delicious meals. Good cook, bad cook, I still love you. Mom, use the cookbook, please!!!!

Babe Bartosch

Spring Hill

Dear Mom,

Though you've been gone 46 years, I feel guilty about something. I want to tell you what really happened to the whiskey in the dining room cabinet in 1946 when I was 15 years old.

Remember when Pa told you it was getting lower and lower you asked me if I drank it? I told you "no" and that I'll bet my brother Alex, who was 24, drank it.

I lied. I wanted to see how it tasted and what effect it had on me. It tasted strong and bitter, made me lose my balance and put me right to sleep. I stopped taking it after a while because it kept doing that to me.

Please forgive me. I think about you all the time.

Mel Paris

St. Petersburg

Dear Mom,

Here is the Tupperware confession. No, it did not get burned in the microwave. It went to someone else's house with watermelon in it and never did make it back. Sorry. Thank you for being my best friend.

Jessica Jackowski

Dunedin

Dear Mom,

Remember that Sunday morning in the dead of winter when Donnie and I were playing sheriff and cowboy? I think I was 8. Don was 11. You had just finished saying, "Someone is going to get hurt." He tied my hands behind my back with his robe sash and told me I had to break out of jail. My chin landed on the radiator pipe.

Don caught a powerful whack with dad's size 13 slipper. I loved showing off my stitched chin while drinking chocolate milkshakes the rest of the week.

You are no longer on this earth. But I often think of that morning when I insisted on being the "good guy" who broke out of jail.

Carole Childs

Clearwater

Dear Mom,

I've been meaning to tell you how wrong you were about Hal. The look of disbelief on your face when I told you 30 years ago that I was in love with a man nearly as old as Daddy is still etched in my mind. I want you to know that kindness is ageless! During my many years of marriage to Hal, my happiness was only exceeded by his patience. It's nearly three years since he died, but I'm fortunate to have fond memories of the places we went and people we met. As a result, I've diligently worked at becoming a more tolerant person. Happy Mother's Day!

Lil Cromer

Belleair

Dear Mom,

You know every time I say I'll clean the house by myself? Well, Danielle does help. She even cleans the house by herself sometimes. You know how I said I read the first and second Harry Potter books? I only read half of each book. Here is my final confession: I saw you get our Easter stuff out of the closet. You forgot to check and see if I was asleep. I love you and I hope you do not get mad!

Rachel Foster, age 11

Largo

Dear Mom,

When I was in the fourth grade, a friend invited me to her home. You said I could go. Little did you know that my friend was going to teach me to smoke.

When the school bell rang we hurried along, partly skipping in anticipation. We were under the back steps and she held the cigarette like the movie stars and said you draw in and then let the smoke out. She lit mine and I proceeded to copy her. I took a good, big drag and started choking -- I thought I was going to die right there with the garbage cans under the back porch. I finally recovered and ran home as fast as I could. You never knew.

I am now 83 years old.

Mary Hazel Morris

Seminole

Dear Mom,

I haven't kept many secrets from you, but this one's pretty bad. Remember that "after prom party" at Melanie's house that my date and I went to? We never made it to the party. Actually there never was a party. We went to a hotel for some quality alone time consisting of hot and steamy heavy petting. I was a naughty girl. Fortunately though, as you know, I've been a good wife to that same date for the last 17 years!

Michele Voight

Clearwater

Dear Mom,

I've been meaning to tell you I'm sorry. At a time when you needed me most, I bailed.

Your illness took everything and everybody from you. What scared me most was how much would be taken from me. I pulled away in need of my own private time. I blamed my unhappiness on caring for you.

Then one day, we thought we could lose you. Spending time with you no longer felt like giving without getting.

Life is what you put into it, and home is where your heart is, and Mom . . . I've finally come home.

Monique Gagnon

St. Petersburg

Dear Mom,

We are supposed to do this for school, so here goes. Remember what happened when Risty got out of his cage? Well, I do know how he got out. When I got home from playing, I got Risty out. I must have forgot him, and I went to get a drink and watch TV. Then I went to take a bath. After that, Dad and I checked homework. When we were done, I went to put my homework in my book bag, and I found that Risty was gone. So when you got home and asked how Risty got out and I said I didn't know, I was lying. I'm very sorry. At least Chewy and Sammy didn't eat him!

Meaghan Ballard, 9

Palm Harbor

Mommy dearest,

Do you remember when my brothers would run to you and tell you that I was making hideous faces at them? I confess, I made them all. It was so much fun to antagonize my brothers until they wanted to slap the stuffing out of me. My impish glee at antagonizing my brothers was always wonderfully rewarded by your taking up for me. Thanks for lovingly protecting me from harm even when I was guilty as sin. Since my brothers are now quite large and you're not always around to defend me, I will keep my hideous faces confined to the mirror.

Linda Cox

Tampa

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