I still feel as though I were 18 inside. My feelings haven’t changed, I just don’t have the same amount of energy to do all I did when I was 18.”

Many young people fail to realize that just because a person lives enough years to gain a few gray hairs and a couple (!) of wrinkles doesn’t mean they’re not young at heart. If you’re planning a birthday celebration for your soon-to-be 60 year old Mom, keep this little story in mind.

Inside her heart and mind, she too, is still an 18 year old, with all the enthusiasm for life and living you yourself enjoy. So when thinking of 60th birthday gifts, think of the activities you enjoy and gifts you’d like to receive. Forget the old-lady outfits and stodgy items you may think befits a woman of her age!

She too has hobbies and interests and activities, which may not be age-related. Golfing, swimming, hiking, bicycling, cooking and gardening may be interests you have in common. For 60th birthday gifts, don’t insult your birthday guy or gal with a cane! If your Mom loves to garden, but suffers a little arthritis, small rectangular stools with a padded seat offer relief for the knees while picking weeds. This is a thoughtful gift that keeps her going at her love of gardening.

Maybe your Dad is turning 60, a lifelong fisherman who, in his younger years, roughed it on the hard ground by the lakeside. His 60th birthday gifts might include one of those collapsible butterfly chairs of netted nylon, with a space for a cold beer right in the chair, or a cooler on rollers to easily tow lunch, sodas and bait.

Does your Aunt enjoy cross-country skiing? This is an arduous sport indeed, so if she’s still going, encourage her to continue with 60th birthday gifts that make the trek a little easier. There are special sunglasses to ease the glare of the sun on snow. Get her a pair of snowshoes! Most people who ski cross-country carry a pair to use when they encounter spots they can’t negotiate by skis.

Now what about a 60th birthday gift for a librarian? Ha! This requires a bit of imagination to come up with an idea that’s ageless yet not dating. Librarians are custodians of information, and it’s likely this person is well educated. Do they love books above all? Locate a book dealer who deals in rare books and first editions. See if you can find a first edition of Steinbeck’s Cannery Row.

Whatever you do, remember that reaching the age of 60 is a two-edged sword in most cases. For well received 60th birthday gifts, present your glass full, not half-empty.

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Now that people are living longer it seems that more people are reaching this milestone. My parents had a nice celebration that included family, neighbors and friends. We had placed an advertisement for an open house in their local paper as well as their church bulletin. We also sent invitations to people that we knew would not see either of those announcements. One of the things that we neglected to include in the announcements was not to bring gifts. As a result my parents had many 50th wedding anniversary gifts that they did not know where to store.

Shortly before celebrating their anniversary my parents downsized to a two bedroom condo. They felt that we children had enough space in our homes to host holiday gatherings and they could no longer keep up the maintenance of their large home and yard. They kept some of their furniture and belongings, but had to part with many things in order to have room in the condo. At the end of their celebration they did not know where to put the 50th wedding anniversary gifts that they had accumulated. A number of people gave them money, which was nice because they put that towards a trip. There were also a number of gift certificates for restaurants and department stores. The problem came in with the number of 50th wedding anniversary gifts that are specifically made for the anniversary. They received everything from creamer and sugar bowls to picture frames, dishes, serving bowls, glasses and other figurines. They had many duplicate gifts. I have seen these items displayed in various stores, but I never realized how many things were available for the golden wedding anniversary.

We helped my parents sort through the 50th wedding anniversary gifts so they could pick out the things that were from special friends and the things that they could use. This left three boxes of things that they did not have room for or were duplicates. My dad mentioned that they had three golden wedding anniversary parties that they were invited to and he thought they should give some of the items as gifts. My mom did not like this idea, but they decided that they would do that. My mother and father-in-law are celebrating their 50th wedding anniversary in a few months. I told them to make sure that they put no gifts on the invitations. From now on I will only give money as a gift when I am invited to an anniversary party. The keepsake items are nice, but getting several of each kind is not a good thing.

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