Hey guys, Mother's Day is Sunday. You know how tricky this one can be.

This is a particularly ornery day for husbands, who have to walk that fine line between appreciation and tribute.

We love our wives, but on this particular day, that's simply not enough. Some sort of gift is a must, and absolutely deserved, but that's where the problem often lies.

If a husband goes overboard and splurges -- all in good faith, mind you -- too often the wife will think, "What did he do? What is he trying to make up for?"

If the husband tries to play it subtle -- possibly a nice card and understated bouquet of flowers -- he can almost see the wheels turning inside her head. "Does he not feel I am worth more than THAT?"

Guys, if you haven't been married long enough to know, there are days when you just aren't going to win.

Men, I'll let you in on a little secret. I suggest the following approach to Mother's Day. (Wives, you can stop reading now.)

Not only is it sincere and truthful, but it helps bridge that intangible gap between what is and what isn't appropriate when it comes to the proper gift.

Whatever you decide as far as a materialistic approach, be it diamonds or a burger, fries and movie, add to it a nice card with a human touch that only a husband can apply. Inside that card, include a hand-written note containing between five and 10 things you appreciate about your wife.

It's not difficult and shouldn't take long to do. If it takes more than 15 minutes to think of a few things you like about your wife you may need more advice than I'm able to provide.

The list inside my Mother's Day card for my wife, Kathy, will include the following (minus all the mushy stuff at the beginning and end):

* I appreciate you letting me buy and install Cleveland Indians floormats in one of the family vehicles. And I appreciate you saying, "Those are cool!" even though I know you think they are the most hideous things on the face of the earth.

* I like how you collect and put away things for the two grandsons, Tommy and Grady, items that years from now will let them know how much joy they brought us when they came into the world.

* I know at some point this week you'll make my favorite pasta, either those corkscrew-like little things or their cousins, the stove pipes, and bake them in some sort of meat sauce. And you won't put onions, peppers and who knows what else in the mixture, even though you like it better that way. You leave them out because you know I like my stuff "plain."

* It makes me feel good when you act like you care about who gets voted off "American idol," even though you haven't watched since 2003. You know it's important to me.

* You don't mind my addiction to baseball cards and have learned not to touch them. And I am impressed that you now know the meanings of "mint" and "Beckett Price Guide."

* I can never thank you enough for letting me hang my Cleveland Browns towel from the kitchen ceiling and my Ohio State pennant on the kitchen wall during football season.

* I love how you trust me to pick out the movies we go see and don't get mad when I stretch the storyline a little if it's a film I really want to see and you would hate. Like the time I told you "Blade" (a vampire movie) was a love story with some bite to it.

* I love how you know how much it means to me to go to Quincy Raceways every Sunday night in the spring and summer, even on Mother's Day.

* And what I love most of all is when you say, "It's all about you, Steve. It's all about you."

-- seighinger@whig.com / 221-3377