Mother's Day is an important celebration in this country. It gives us a special moment to thank and appreciate our moms. Yes, the flower industry, the restaurants and phone companies all do extremely well on this Sunday, as is the custom. But, I would like to offer a suggestion to encourage you do something quite different in appreciating your special lady.

First off, since this is a day to be attentive to someone else, ask your mom, wife, grandmother or other significant mom in your life about what she would like to do or what would make her happy on this special Sunday.

You may be surprised and relieved that an alternative plan will work much better than waiting a long time for restaurant prepared food that won't be great because they are so rushed and crowded. Since this is the most popular day of the year for the floral industry, pick another day to give your mom beautiful flowers. They will very likely be fresher and prettier and she'll appreciate them more.

If she just wants you to do all the planning, here are a few suggestions to please mom on her day:

• Pick up or prepare her favorite foods and go on a picnic to a local park, beach or other outdoor venue.
• Take her to that museum she has always wanted to see.
• Treat her to a backyard barbeque.
• Get tickets to a baseball game, or other sporting event she likes.
  
• Invite the family over to work on a family quilt, and give it to her when it's finished.
• Make it a casual family reunion and invite extended family to a pot-luck feast.
• Go to a local college play, neighborhood musical or downtown concert.
• Take a City tour of your own or other nearby city.
• If you are close to a lake, mountain, zoo or beach, see if mom would enjoy a day outing.
• Be sure to bring a camera and post pictures on your Facebook page. You may have to show them to her on your computer.

In other words, be creative and do something you wouldn't ordinarily do in your area. Something that you always meant to do and never seem to have the time or where you would take traveling visitors or friends to show them special points of interest in your city.

Of course, if you don't live close to your mom, you'll have to be even more resourceful.  Here are 5 more ideas for moms who are long distance:

• Compose a poem or song and include it in card or recite it by phone
• Purchase a gift certificate to her favorite store
• Send / email concert or movie tickets to a theatre near her
• Send certificate for her and her best friends to an afternoon tea at her local tea room / house, garden club or hotel that serves them.
• If you are artistic, there is nothing better than a personalized piece of art made especially for mom. It'll remind her of all the projects you made her during school days.

Oh, and be sure to give her a kiss and a hug and tell her you love her since that will be the most appreciated gift of all.