AARP Rewards Mother's Day Contest 2026!

If my mom had a superpower, it would be biscuit making. She made the best buttermilk biscuits from scratch every morning. She must have made a million of them in her lifetime for me and my 6 siblings. 

My mom was an identical twin that outlived her ENTIRE family!! She was a beautiful red head mom of 7 who had 91 years on this earth! My mom had perseverance and love of many things. She became a caring nurse in her 40’s while taking care of her family. Her passions were art and loving the Lord. My life was better for her having been my mom. Mother’s Day feels differently with her gone but memories never fade and I keep them close. My advice is smother those moms with love and hugs while you can!! 

I don't have pleasant memories of my mother but as a mom, my favorite Mother’s Day with my daughters was several years ago when they were both in college. When they were little I took them to our local Zoo a lot and we enjoyed it very much. So they decided to take me to the Zoo like when they were little, and we did all the little recorded zoo facts like when they were little, We started with the animals I wanted to see, they bought me the fun zoo animal shaped cup during lunch at the zoo cafe, and something from the gift shop. It was a reverse of when I took them, and they treated me for the day. We had so much fun and shared so many memories of when they were young. It was a day I’ll remember forever. Sharing a fun day with your adult children is like the pot of gold at the end of raising children. 

My mom was always ahead of her time and fought so hard for her achievements and for other women.  Mom knew at an early age that she wanted to be a nurse. Mom was awarded a prize from a local women's club of $25 when she graduated from high school in 1938. Mom applied to many nursing schools in the area and was accepted to the Jewish Hospital Nursing School in Louisville, KY. This was a nursing school that required the nursing students to work at the hospital and live on the premises of the hospital during training. Mom graduated from training in 1941 but by that time the United States had entered WWII.  There was a severe shortage of nurses for the war and the federal government threatened to draft nurses for service. The American Red Cross recruited nurses for service. Mom answered the call and enlisted in the Army Nurse Corps.  Mom actually missed her graduation ceremony and her own mother attended to accept her Nursing Cap, mom was already in the Nurse Corps basic training on that date. Mom's first duty station was at Ft. Knox, KY in the psychiatric ward.  Mom knew she didn't enlist to sit in her own backyard so when the overseas roster was posted, she volunteered for duty.  Mom was accepted for overseas duty and shipped out on the Queen Mary (which had been outfitted as a troop carrier in WWII because it was fast enough in the water to travel without escort) to England.  Mom later served in France, landing on Normandy Beach 4 months after D-Day. Mom always told us of all the devastation around her and of living in tents the entire time she was in France. Mom's unit finally made it to Carentan, France and they were preparing our wounded for medical transport by ship back to the U.S.

Mom finally earned her points in the overseas theater and returned to the U.S. as a 1LT in 1944 as her unit was being merged with 66th General Hospital in Germany.

Mom was so proud of her service and later joined VFW and American Legion when they finally accepted women veterans as full members (they normally restricted women veterans to Auxiliary membership). Mom also was a member of the Womens' Overseas Service League (WOSL). Mom became a Charter Member of the WIMSA Memorial at Arlington Cemetery and attended the Dedication Ceremony. Mom was also proud to be able to take an Honor Flight at the age of 90 to finally see the WWII memorial in Washington DC (her last trip).  

Mom passed away in 2017 at 93 and was buried with Military honors and her beloved Red Cross Nurses pin that had been engraved with her name and service number. (The Red Cross Nurses pin has a history that you are either buried with the pin or it is to be returned to the National Red Cross.)

---

@AARPTeri wrote:

Mother's Day is all about love, laughter... and the moments that make moms so special!

 

Share your Mother's Day tribute by hitting reply to this post - it can be funny, heartfelt or totally unique! Whether it's a funny memory, a simple thank you, or a life lesson she shared - we want to hear about it! 

 

Not only will you spread some joy, but you will also have a chance to win a special reward, because great stories deserve great prizes!

 

Need inspiration? Try one of these prompts to get your started!

• The moment my mom totally saved the day for me...
• If my mom had a superpower, it would be...
• Something my mom/inspiring woman in my life told me was...

 

No purchase necessary to win!  Be sure your entry is your own original story!  Keep it kind, respectful and fun!  Check out the official rules here:  View Contest Rules

 

Play our new Mother's Day Mahjong Solitaire Game !

 

We also have Mother's Day egreeting cards in Rewards, you can view them   here 

---

I am truly fortunate that my mom is still with us at 101 years old. She was diagnosed with Alzheimers almost 11 years ago, but continues to know our family most of the time. She lives in a beautiful memory care facility, and is loved by all because of her kind heart. She was on hospice care for 18 months prior to her 100th birthday, but they kicked her out as she settled into a new normal. Her caregiver told me that in all the years working in hospice he had never met a kinder or more joyous spirit, and said that this keeps her going. After a recent flu outbreak she was ill enough that she has now been back in hospice care for a month but is back to feeling and looking healthy again. She is my inspiration for staying positive and kind.

The older I get, the more I am in awe of my mother, her bravery, her grace, her love, her wisdom and her humor. For starters, in 1962 she joined my father, a missionary, in his work. She had four children, ages 8,6,4 and 3. She didn't know the language or where they would live. She knew no one other than my father. Yet she forged friendships, learned the language and culture, was always there for us kids, and along with my father, provided a loving home. I miss her terribly.

so many stories but I have to share a funny one from when I was in grade school and at that time we got to go home for lunch.  My mom was making us grilled cheese sandwiches and as she gave me mine and I took a nice bite - there was no cheese on mine lol.  I still to this day bring it up to her.

You save us all from the abusive husband and father I had for 18 years at last. You were afraid to leave him because his pals you felt would have kidnapped or done worse to us 3 girls. But the day he beat me black and blue you stopped him. He pushed you against the wall. Then you knew we had to escape. This would never end. At last we were free of the verbal abuse and physical. No more would things disappear from our home and be hocked. No more would he forge your name and take out loans he could not pay. Steal you money left by your uncle and claim our home was robbed. Have your check garnished because he did not pay what he used to gamble on the horses. You could have stayed or told me at 18 to leave. But you chose us and got rid of this man that never took us any where. No vacations, no out to dinners or lunches, instead he was off to the track as our utilities got cut off and the eviction notices hung on the door. You now paid the bills and had the money you worked for a night while we slept secure knowing he would never be back. That yes I have the money for you educations. You chose us and for that I thank you.

My mom; God rest her sweet Soul; was a great woman of faith whom many love and respect. She was a leader in church and in society. She made great changes for the good. I aspire to be and do great things also. Keep 🙏!