While flowers are universally appreciated, giving an experience can be so much more fun and interesting.
Voice / Singing
Remember that woman who used to sing you to sleep? Why not up her status in the church choir with a few vocal lessons. She might even use those newly acquired vocal skills to sing her grandkids to sleep, something which, assuming the little insomniacs are yours, would assure a pretty large return on your investment.
Mosaics
Ever pick up a home design magazine and see one of those fancy kitchens with an elaborate tile mosaic backsplash? Or some crazy shower covered with tropical fish and exotic sea creatures? Why not get mom enrolled in a tile mosaic workshop and then set her crafty-self free with a bucket of grout? Better yet, take the workshop with her and spend some good mother/child time tiling yourselves into a tizzy.
Paragliding
It’s standard procedure for a mother bird to push her baby out of the nest when it’s time for them to discover their wings. Perhaps your mother helped you discover yours too. So why not flip the modus operandi and give her the gift of paragliding? Just like a baby bird, that first push might irk her a bit, but once the thrill settles in she’ll sing your praises while bragging to all those ladies from her bridge club.
Equestrian
Just because she never bought you that pony for your seventh birthday doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t give her the gift of horseback riding lessons. In fact, it would probably be a great way to let her know that you’ve finally gotten over it even if you haven’t. And if you haven’t, then maybe take a moment to speak with the stable owner regarding the cost of room and board. When it comes to the equine, it’s far better to rent than to own.
Painting & Wine
Wine and painting, although not as common as wine and cheese, makes for a delightful pairing, invoking Paris, Impressionism, and several people who probably argued with Picasso about the ambiguous nature of artistic representation. Why not help mom invoke her inner Monet with a class that combines the two? She’ll learn a thing or two about brushstrokes as well as grape varieties and go home with a masterpiece of her own.
