Mother's Day comes to Johnsburg Sunday, May 12. Looking for a great gift? How 'bout an auto maintenance and safety check that will keep mom safely on the road?

Mother’s Day comes to Johnsburg only once a year though appreciation for mom and all she does for you fits on any given day. Still, it’s customary to make a special attempt to show that appreciation on Mother’s Day.

Mother’s Day is held on the second Sunday in May. This year, that day falls on May 12. Mothers all over Johnsburg will have a special chance to feel the love from their children.

No doubt, you’ll be looking for something to give mom that truly expresses your love for her. There are the usuals – candies and flowers. It’s also customary to take mom out for dinner. On a special day, such as this, make sure the car is clean, neat and ready to get you there and back. It’s not much of a treat if mom has to slide in on a seat that will get grease stains on her special Mother’s Day dress.

And it’s a real damper on the event if you wind up stuck on the side of the road while fixing a flat tire or dealing with some other mechanical difficulty. As uninspiring as that thought may be, it may also offer an inspiration for a very special Mother’s Day gift. How ‘bout a safety check for mom’s car?

If she’s like most mothers, your mom is probably pretty darn busy worrying about you and looking for ways to help. It’s not unlikely that something as mundane as caring for her car may slip her mind. Keep in mind that there is nothing ‘mundane’ about her car breaking down on the side of the road or, worse yet, having an accident because of a mechanical failure.

Mechanical failure can even be a factor when trying to avoid an accident. The brakes fail, a headlight is out, a wiper blade is badly worn and she doesn’t see a threat in time, or the steering doesn’t respond as intended.

A safety check is a quick way to ensure that mom’s car is mechanically sound. And, while you’re at it, you can have basic maintenance performed. Is her car due for an oil change?

In fact, this is the perfect time of year to have pre-summer maintenance done. Along with changing the oil, have the coolant checked. Is the transmission fluid due to be changed? Check the belts and hoses. Check the battery, charging system and starter. And how about the air conditioning. After all, she’s liable to need that sooner than later.

Whatever you do for mom this Mother’s Day, we hope you have a great day. And, if you take her out for dinner, have a safe drive to an eatery in or around Johnsburg.