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But, what to get her? What to get the woman who made it all possible? How to express a world of thanks on one day? Some suggestions, still in time for Mother’s Day.

• try an edible arrangement . The beauty of flowers, the deliciousness of a fruit basket and exquisite presentation. And, you still have time to get it to the office by Friday.

• if you know your Mom’s employer or co-workers and understand the dynamics of her office, try arranging a surpise day off for her with the assurance that her work will be covered and uninterrupted (otherwise she’ll just stress about having to catch up when she gets back).

• how about a spa day? Mani’s, pedi’s, facial, massage. Get her out of the house and get her pampered.

• if your Mom usually prepares food for Mother’s Day (either for immediate or extended family) YOU take over on Mother’s Day. Talk to her friends and find out what some of her favorites are and try to make them yourself. She will love it!

• have the car washed Sunday morning. Mow the lawn if you are visiting from out of town. Organize the garage. If there is a project she had been working on, but for whatever reason has not completed, get it done. If she always wanted an irrigation system installed, a privacy fence or you wanted an alarm system installed for her safety make the arrangments to have it done for her.

• have photos taken. But not glamour shots or mall photos. Once I took my Mom to Duke Gardens in Durham, NC. A freelance photographer friend followed us and took candid shots as we toured the gardens. The photos were unforgettable.

• Did she used to love dancing, tennis, or piano? Get her some lessons with a pro.

• is there a friend or long-lost loved one you can afford to fly in for the weekend?

• I bet she has boxes of untouched photos. In the digital age you can get those on CDs and storage devices that will make them easily accessible and arrangeable.

• Track your family heritage, DNA and tribal legacy. This you might not get to do by Sunday, but get a jump start on next year.

Hope these helped spark those creative juices. Whatever you do, do it with love, give it some thought and she will love it because she will see YOU were excited about what you did.