AARP Rewards Mother's Day Contest 2026!

[AARPTeri]

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 you 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 

[docleslie]

My mom was an inspiration not only to me and my siblings, but to do many kids in our community. She was a single mom raising 3 children under the age of 10, due to the early death of our dad. Her strength through all of this was incredibly amazing as she navigated working, raising us and be party of the community. She was s social worker and you could see the positive impact her work did in helping families in crisis find the assistance and foundations they needed. She was there for all of our events and accomplishments. She never complained about being tired or over worked. Always soft spoken, a spirit filled, and her suicide and guidance were always will thought out, never making the decision for you to but teaching us to critically think about out choices. I can hear her now when I have a decision to make, she would appreciate say," pray about it, listen and watch for God's reply, and remember there are consequences to all your decisions, some good and don't bad, you have to choose." Her dedication to us least each of us to find success. 

Even now years after her passing, people remember her fondly, admiring the impact she had on not only us but her community. How wonderful and blessed we were to have such a beautiful mom. 

[SylviaR600637]

My mom passed away some time ago but the lessons of life she left my 7 siblings and myself are still very much alive and followed to this day. She and my dad came to this country where they did not speak the language and such a different way of life..but I saw how she always managed to get through the obstacles that came her way thus teaching us that we too could overcome and forge ahead in our lives..yet she was such a gentle and caring woman that never let the hardships of her life embitter her..always forgiving..our family is close even though we are now a very large family.. and it’s all because of what learned from our mom. We now strive pass those values to our own families.. and I am a better mom because of the example that was shown to me.

[CiennaN884110]

My mom always put my brother and I first when she was a single mom before she met my step-dad in 2019. She did everything for us! She had her own house, car, paid daycare, took us places, cooked, cleaned and graduated college with a 4.0 GPA when my brother was a baby. After 2019 when we moved into a new school district, my grandparents and my aunt hurt her pretty bad because they didn't like my step-dad. They withheld her wedding funds and became friends with my biological dad to have my brother and I taken away from her, but she stayed strong throughout it all. She lost a relationship with my grandma and her sister because of that. My mom hurt pretty bad for a long time and I'm sure she secretly still does, but she never shows it. She even wrote a book about her struggles, "Tornado Lies". She's an artist, an author, an interior decorator, a beautiful soul and the strongest mom anyone could as for. I went through a difficult time during the custody battle which caused me to drink, smoke and self-harm. She never gave up on me. She had to stay strong for me to heal. She is a great mom, she truly is a remarkable woman to have endured so much hurt and still rise above of it like a true Queen. My mom goes out of her way to accomodate for others people. She has an outgoing personality; she can carry on a conversation with anyone. She just has a way of connecting and understanding how someone else feels which is why she's loved by so many people. She never boasts, she rarely complains. She always puts herself last and I believe she truly deserves a break. All her money goes towards bills, daycare, our house, Christmas, birthdays, ect. I don't know how she keeps up with five kids, two dogs, a cat, a full-time job, and still manages to make dinner ever night. She's a great cook too!  She does so much for everyone else.  Despite her hardships, she always wears a smile and talks about her faith in God. Unfortunately, she had a miscarriage four months ago, a week before Christmas. I know she's been very sad lately; I can see it in her eyes. I don't know how she carries herself with such dignity and humbleness. She is an exceptional woman. If I can be half of the woman she is, I would be honored and proud to be like my mom. I wouldn't be where I am today without her.  I'd like to say I've matured over the years, but it's because she's always communicated with me and supported me.  Of all mothers in the world, I have the strongest, most beautiful mother inside and out. She deserves the world. I want to see her happy.

Plus if she won, the announcement would be made close to her birthday!!!! Her birthday is May 11th!

Happy Mother's Day and Birthday Mom, I love you!!!!

[MichelleK523334]

 My mother has passed away. However I think my daughter should be considered. I was at an all-time low when I lost my mother.  I didn’t care if I lived or died. She was my very best friend.  My daughter is married with two children and lives 12 hours away. When I would call her several times a day, she answered every time. even if it was just to say she was in the middle of something and she’ll call me right back, which she did. It’s been 4 1/2 years since my mother passed and still to this day my daughter and I talk several times a week. I no longer drive and I don’t Have any family nearby. last month when my daughter called me and found out I wasn’t feeling that good. She had cold medicine, cough drops, and soup delivered to my house.  She did all this for me while raising two children with a husband that was away the majority of the time due to the Coast Guard. I am truly blessed to have her as a daughter.  She was the one that helped me through the most difficult time in my life. She is one of a kind. 

[SereneSeagull]

That’s a special kind of daughter for sure.  👍🙂

[NicoleB22134]

  In the past I would plant a rose bush in my mom’s garden.  Now my daughter and I share the experience of tea service at Chado or The Huntington followed by a visit to a local botanical garden.

[SereneSeagull]

That’s nice you have something special to do with your daughter. 

[DebraM623198]

  In our family we have a saying: "Growing old isn't for sissies".  So, thank you mom for teaching me grit and determination. At 96 you may not have the physical strength to do all the things you still want to do, but you still have the heart, grit and determination (okay - sometimes described as stubbornness) to still do so much in your life.  Happy Mother's Day!  

[SereneSeagull]

Fantastic @DebraM623198 

[jg34206387]

My mom has been gone for many, many years.  She used many colorful expressions (ranging from sweet to sarcastic to almost profane) that, to date, I've never heard anyone else say.  "That's enough of that happy horse s**t!" "I'm gonna go bite him right in the ass!"  and "Bless your baby heart" are among my favorites.  I was born in the 60s, she died in 2010 and I can still "hear"some of her words from nearly 60 years ago.

[SereneSeagull]

I love sarcastic people.  Telling it like it is , @jg34206387  So great hearing your memory.

[lj2319]

Mrs. Groah, my third grade teacher, "Your mother is a beautiful woman.  She has such a wonderful smile".  My mom was physically attractive, but also extremely smart.  She was high school valedictorian and homecoming queen.  Somehow I knew even then Mrs. Groh meant beautiful, strong, inside and out.  Many years later I recognized my high school typing teacher at an event.  I told her, "My mom insisted I take typing, which meant being an hour late for wrestling practice one day a week".  I was angry, but Mom insisted, and I told the teacher, "As mom said it would, typing turned out to be extremely valuable as I've done a lot of writing."  My former teacher smiled, then almost cried, saying, "We teach all these years and mostly hear nothing, or just the bad things.  You don't know what it means to hear such a good thing."  I did know.  Mom was still brightening lives 15 years after she died.  When my Dad retired, Mom and Dad travelled all over the country in an old camper he knew how to keep running.  When Dad died, Mom quit travelling till I asked, "Any other place you"d like to go?"  I took her to Philadelphia, "birthplace of America", and I still remember the tension at the Liberty Bell.  The rest of the folks in the tour just wanted to get on with it, but the knowledgeable guide was smiling profusely, thrilled to be able to answer the most amazing questions pouring forth from my Mother. When she was dying, I brought her applesauce I made myself.  I tried to get her to teach me to cook in high school, but she refused.  I don't know if she feared I'd destroy her kitchen, or if it was that conservative thinking, "Cooking is women's work."  I learned on my own, and as I spooned applesauce into Mom's mouth, she said weakly, "You made applesauce just for me?"  That strong, beautiful smile spread slowly across Mom's face.  It brightens my life to this day.

[SereneSeagull]

  Beautifully written.

[LeandraG443547]

One of the best gifts of being a wife, mother of 2 beautiful adult daughters.  One just turned 22.  She still lives at home.  My oldest one is 29 and after her divorce in February she moved back home but she brought a gift.  She is pregnant with my first grand baby.  She is having a boy due on her dad's birthday.  She is naming him after my dad's first name and her dad's middle name.  Leonard Thomas, Leo for short.  She is actually due July 21st but is getting induced on July 13th on her dad's birthday and that's blessing for all three of us.  Her dad, my husband, he's excited to be a pepaw.  We have been married almost 30 years.  It will be 30 years August 16,2016.  Plus we live with my mom to help take care of her because she is 73 years old.  She is going to be great grandma.  Plus we had a bonus my me and my husband and my younger daughter living here, last  August we had a scare with me.   I found out I had breast cancer in my left breast.  So I ended up having a bilateral mastectomy, then I went through chemo from December 2025 to February 2026.  Then in March I had surgery to remove 12 lymphnodes and they were all negative.  Praise the Lord.  So I am in remission for now. I plan to stay that way for awhile because I can't wait to welcome this new grandbaby into the world. 

He truly is a blessing from God.   My dad passed away about 40 years ago so I am going to say he was handpicked by his great grandpa in Heaven.  So he will be perfect.

[ChristopherK487822]

One of the most beautiful gifts as a mother, is watching your daughter become a mom herself, and just being awestruck as to what an amazing women she’s become. Truly the greatest gift is knowing my children are my most beautiful legacy.

[MadonnaM141634]

The most important thing my mother ever taught me was to always save for a rainy day. Thanks Mom!

[mm77866126]

I want to thank my mother for the life she gave me i miss you mom😍

[SereneSeagull]

That’s beautiful.  

[DonyaTann]

The most important thing my mother taught me is to never give up. When things are bad that means they'll get better. When things are good, be grateful. Also share goodness with others. Be genuinely happy for others and their successes. The golden rule applies to everything. 

[j848945r]

My mother was a farm wife. She prepared all the meals, kept a garden so we could have homegrown (pesticide free) veggies, ran after equipment parts for the farm and then took the time to sew all four of us girls matching yellow (with flowers) Easter dresses.

[kariann]

     I didn't appreciate my Mom until I was older, as a teenager I always thought I'll never act like that or think like that. But guess what I learned many lessons from her, I think I'm a better parent and person because of her. My Mom got Alzheimer's in her 70's and now every time I forget something, I think oh no I've got it now. But because I know the signs I don't freak out too much. I have pictures and objects that I've kept for the happy memories and I thank you Mom and Love you

[SereneSeagull]

Isn’t that something, as we age we appreciate the lessons our parents taught us, even more.  I always made a point as an adult to thank them for that.  We don’t always see this as teens, but it becomes more apparent as we grow and mature.  Loved your post @kariann 

[blueroseviolin1129]

Everlasting Influence 

My mom, a blessed memory, still plays an active role in all I think about, say, and do. She always encouraged me to pursue my dreams. At 65, I am going back to school to be a licensed Music Therapist-what I originally went to college for. I don’t regret choosing a career as a Teacher of the Visually Impaired for 41 years. I loved it. My desire to help others, as well as myself, something she always wanted for me, is now my goal and I will pursue it passionately. She always withheld her energy until the time was right to release it towards the most important things to her  - family, faith, and the future. I know I can never fill her shoes, but because of her, I am grateful to be able to fit comfortably in my own.

[SereneSeagull]

So beautifully written @blueroseviolin1129 .  How interesting…a music therapist.  Such a rewarding path to go down!  That’s super!

[m870874h]

At The Kitchen Sink

One day while I was standing at my kitchen sink, I began to ponder, to just stand there and think, soon tears were streaming down like raindrops from the Sky and I heard my husband saying, was it I who made you cry.

It was at that moment, when it became so clear, what it means to be a mother, one so

precious and so dear. I began to think back on the things I never knew, until I was

standing there, and it all became so true.

All the things I thought were natural, were

indeed a hefty chore, but I had never once hummed while sweeping up my floor and all

the clothes that I'd left laying on the bathroom floor, they weren't picked up by fairies washed and put back in a drawer and those cakes that I smelled baking when I opened up the door, well magic didn't bake them like I thought it had before and the supper on the table and the popcorn on the couch that just did not happen but I had never figured that all out

Mom was always standing there to give me a little kiss and to listen to my problems which were own a lengthy list,  but somehow all around me all these things were always done, and she was somewhere singing about something God had done. That is the moral of the story of her life, that is why she was smiling in the middle of the strife, not complaining and not screaming I have too much to do but humming about Jesus, that is what always got mom through.

It was during my break down, there at my sink, where God whispered to me softly it can be easier than you think, I have never felt emotion, nor have I loved as deep, as I loved my Mother that day standing there at my kitchen sink.

I am blessed to still have my momma and it is only because of who she is that I was able to overcome many obstacles in my life. God has blessed us tremendously.  

[SereneSeagull]

@m870874h I’ve seen that,  “At the Kitchen Sink” poem before.  Beautiful, and very relatable.  Thank you.

[Nadja7]

When I was a girl in the 1970s, I belonged to Girl Scout Troop 532 in Southern California. Our troop was known for being active, mischievous, and endlessly creative, and always finding ways to get ourselves into trouble.
One crisp autumn evening, with school just a few months underway, we gathered at the Girl Scout house in the city park, waiting to board the bus for our annual fall camping trip. The sky was darkening, the air misty, and a storm was clearly on its way. Girls from all the local troops were assembled, chattering excitedly, sweaters pulled tight against the chill.
Impatient as ever, we began to chant, trying to hurry the leaders to let us board. Between our shouting and the roar of the idling bus engine, it was nearly impossible to hear what our troop leader was saying. Soon, it became clear. The camping trip was canceled. A big storm was coming, and disappointment settled over the group like a huge gray cloud.
I looked at my mom, and I could tell she saw the disappointment on my face. With a giggle and creativity, she said, “Invite your troop over to our house.”
And that’s exactly what I did. That night, our house transformed into a Girl Scout camp. There were sleeping bags everywhere! Girls slept in the living room, the den, and three bedrooms upstairs. There were giggles, whispered conversations, and the constant shuffle of friends claiming sleeping spots. Somehow, amid the chaos, my mom orchestrated a pancake breakfast the next morning. That weekend wasn’t just about avoiding disappointment. It was about generosity, creativity, and the kind of warmth that leaves a lasting mark. My mom didn’t just save the day for me; she saved it for an entire troop of girls.
When my mom passed, I shared this story at her memorial. My old Girl Scout friends nodded in agreement—it was a core memory for all of us, a small but shining example of how one person’s kindness can ripple out and touch many lives.

[SereneSeagull]

That’s a wonderful memory to have!  

[cg1999584]

My mom’ super power was super chef. My mom worked at night, driving from Waldorf MD to McLean, VA as a federal government worker, and by the time she got home we were already gone for school. Back then there was no “microwave” to heat or cook meals so my mom prepared enough meals for at least 5 days on Saturdays her day off, froze some of them and I was responsible for heating and serving my dad and three brothers, cleaning the table and doing the dishes as a child until I was about 16. My biological mom died when I was 7 and my dad remarried and my mom who raised me did an exceptional job for a woman who married a widower in 1969 with 4 children, 9 and under and had no children if her own. Now that’s a super mom!

[SereneSeagull]

For sure!  @cg1999584