Now, don't get me wrong, I am sure mom loved that little home made gift. And most mothers probably still have those little papered jars stored away in a box somewhere so they can pull them out and remember when we were young. Although, as we get older we realize that our gift was not really practical. We start to think maybe I should get mom something better. Something she can use regularly, but more importantly, something she really needs.

If you are like me, your mother is probably at the age where she can order off the senior's menu. With the special discounts on food also come other more undesirable aspects related to age. The weather no longer seems as warm as it used to. Her feet get colder easier; the extra thick comforters come out of the closet while it is still summertime, and all sleepwear is either flannel or fleece.

As we get older our roles start to reverse with our parents. They spent our entire childhood worried that maybe we weren't dressed warm enough for the weather, and did we take that sweater to school in case the wind picked up. At bedtime my mom would stick her head in the door 5 minutes after I was in bed to check I was warm enough all snuggled up in my Flintstones pj's or did I need a big knitted pair of socks on too.

My mother's penchant for saving on heating hasn't lessened over the years. She would rather wear 3 sweaters than turn the heat up, always runs the hot water for 5 minutes to heat up the bathroom before a bath, and eighteen blankets on the bed at night. But times have changed. Fleece can now withstand weather only seen in the arctic. Slippers are not only warm and fuzzy but they now come with non-slip soles ? another concern we get as our parents age.

My mother has slippers that remind her of her old dog Farley, slippers to wear when company is over, slippers to wear outside to put the garbage in the garage, slippers for every occasion it seems. She doesn't worry about slipping in them, and I don't worry about what might happen if she were to slip. She has a warm fleece bathrobe so she no longer has to wash, dry and dress in the bathroom to conserve heat. I notice the bed isn't piled high with blankets anymore, mom is finally warm without the bulk of three sweaters and knitted stockings.

With Mother's Day fast approaching I think I am going to replace baby food jar vases with slippers, tissue paper flowers with fleece bathrobes, and eighteen blankets on the bed with warm flannel pajamas. In doing this I also give myself something that can't be bought ? less worry about my aging mom, and some piece of mind knowing she is warm at night all snuggly in her fleece and flannel.