Mother’s Day is our national “thank you” to the wonderful woman in our life who has overlooked our shortcomings and bailed us out of bad situations.

Only a mom would type our 20-page high school term paper the day before deadline (note: this was before “keyboarding”). Only a mom would say “yes” to a phone call that asks, “We found a puppy. Can we keep her?” Only a mom would provide gentle guidance when we become a parent ourselves. Thanks for everything, Mom.

For anyone in need of a gift suggestion for Mother’s Day, how about escorting mom to a free concert? Recording artist and mother of three Tajci will sing “Let it Be — Mary’s Story” and other songs beginning at 4 p.m., Sunday, May 11, at St. Isidore Church, 427 W. Army Trail Road, in Bloomingdale. For information, call (630) 529-3045.

For moms who like to garden, here’s a gift certificate idea. Friday to Sunday, May 16 to 18, is the Bloomingdale Garden Club’s annual plant sale. Michigan-grown flats of annuals for $13, geraniums, accent plants and hanging baskets will fill the shared village hall and library parking lot on Bloomingdale Road. The perennials are home-grown favorites from Bloomingdale backyards. For information, call Helen Price at (630) 980-6585.

For Grandma Jean Madura, this will be an extra special Mother’s Day. Named Marklund Home’s Volunteer of the Year, the Roselle resident has spent more than 10 years visiting special needs children at Marklund Philip Center for Children in Bloomingdale.

“Grandma Jean is a beloved member of the Marklund family,” said Cathy Nikrandt, volunteer manager for Marklund. “She has a kind heart and has been a valuable asset to the Early Intervention Program and the Day School.”

Marklund is a nonprofit network of services for infants, children and adults with severe and profound developmental disabilities. To help finance the services, the 26th Annual Marklund Golf Classic will be held this Monday, May 12, at Hilton Chicago-Indian Lakes Resort in Bloomingdale. The 10:45 a.m. shotgun start features several former Chicago athletes, including the Bulls’ Bob Love; the Bears’ Ronnie Bull, Bob Parsons and Mickey Pruitt; the Cubs’ Bill “Soup” Campbell, Rich Nye and Gene Hiser; the White Sox’s Eric Soderholm; and soccer hall of famer Willy Roy.

After golfing, the celebrities will be available for a meet and greet autograph session during the dinner banquet. For information, call Ron Slucker at (773) 474-7150.