As I was walking out of Possibilities, that chotchka and card emporium on Seventh Avenue, a father and son were walking in.

"This is a woman’s store," the father said. "It is?" the boy asked. "Yes, my son. You see there are only women in here…"

Aside from the sexist implications of that father’s remark, I knew that the two of them were about to embark on an important mission: buying a  Mother’s Day gift.

Ah, the pressure. The agony. The thump thump thump heart beating anxiety to locate a gift for mom.

As you can imagine, Mother’s Day is a big deal around here. Today there will be hordes of fathers with children making the pilgrammage to the Clay Pot, which will undoubted be filled to the gills with clueless men and kids struggling to find the perfect gift.

More than once, when shopping for a gift for my mother, I’ve been tempted to steer a particularly clueless man toward what I knew would be a more appropriate gift. But I resisted. It was not my place. If I did, however, run into a friend’s husband, I might make a small suggestion. But hey, it was all in the name of friendship and karma (and she could thank me later for the Lisa Jenks necklace).

While there are now more good stores to choose from (Living on Seventh, Loom, Bird, Nest, Shangri La) on Seventh Avenue. And too, too many places to name on Fifth Avenue (Diane Kane, Matter, Flirt, Cog and Wheel, Eidolan and on and on…), the Clay Pot is still, symbolically, the destination of choice, the holy grail of Mother’s Day gifts.

For one thing, they have a comprehensive selection of the best in contemporary jewelry design (at a variety of price points) and they feature an eminently tasteful selection of the best in contemporary home and gift items. As they say on their web site:

"The Clay Pot was established in 1969 as an urban ceramics studio by Robert and Sally Silberberg. Thirty-five years ago Park Slope was hardly the enclave for young professional families it is today, but it was always a neighborhood, and The Clay Pot is essentially a neighborhood store. Joined by their daughter Tara in 1990, the store now reflects her passion for jewelry and has developed into a nationally recognized source for America’s premier jewelry designers."

Plus, they make it so easy for men to find a gift that will make their wives swoon. The window is chock full of great ideas, as is the store itself. But more importantly, their long-time employees are the best at giving advice on gifts at every price range and style. They ask all the right questions (price, personal style of the recipient, likes and dislikes) and take the time to work with you. From hand crafted, simple and tasteful, high design or even something a little Blink, there’s something for everyone’s taste.

That brown Clay Pot gift box with a black ribbon is the de-facto Park Slope equivalent of the blue Tiffany box. To many a woman it means that her husband has done his job, that he’s reached to the sky and pulled down a star. Good work.

Some men even venture into the vaulted and expensive wedding ring department. Oooooooh. Now that’s a guy who really knows how to buy a gift.

That’s my kind of man…

My husband seems to have a mental block against Mother’s Day and that other holiday he hates to comply with (see Postcard from the Slope_Valentine’s Day). In his defence, I must add that on many a Saturday before Mother’s Day he has braved the Clay Pot crowds  and returned with a specially selected jewelry item pour moi. Why, I’m wearing one right now, it’s a silver Lisa Jenks ring he discovered on the sale shelf two years ago.  I happen to ADORE IT.

So you see, even for a man who has a major issue with these so-called Hallmark holidays, the Clay Pot is a marriage-saver and a sure fire way to please the mother of his children on Mother’s Day.

The shop is open on Saturday. All day. On your mark, get set…