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 

[KrisC453716]

❤️💕🎉

[JerriB418431]

My Mother inspired me to work hard (as she was a full-time working mom) and always made time with love and laughter alongside wonderful memories.

[RhondaH880533]

Being a single mom for 31 years and so proud of my accomplishments! Both my kids are artists and very intelligent I'm such a proud mother and if my mother was here she'd be even prouder!

[LisaR604522]

I miss my mom so much. I suffered from a painful condition which started in my early 30's. My mom was there to help with the kids and do anything I needed. She was very upset that I was suffering so much. My mom passed away about 6 years ago. After she died, I started to feel much better. It's like she asked for some divine influence and it was granted. It was such a major difference and at the same time, I can't ignore it. Thank you mom for helping me 

[SusanW930196]

Hi! 
my mom,  became my angel on my shoulder after a grueling battle with pancreatic cancer.  Through it all, she Kept smiling.  Her wisdom and wit, inner and outer Beauty shines as bright now as ever.  Thank you M.a.M.  For your everlasting love.   

my folks, teachers.  Music:  anyone can master music with the proper attitude.  ‘It is the rests between the notes” where the magic resides.  On that note:  we have vaccines for polio, Mmr,  please please please help keep these dis eases Dead. Thank a tribute today to DAngelo, Tania. Maria 🇧🇷, N Mr. David Sanborn (polio survivor). N Ylysses 🇨🇮 soccer football great. Blessings to u and yours! 🫶🏼🙏🤟💋

[SusanW930196]

Oh please remember the Luestgaerden foundation of nyc… working to eradicate pancreatic cancer!✨

[JenniferS444495]

My mom Patty is my biggest supporter and has helped me so much throughout the years. After my sister passing away in 2018, our relationship has gotten stronger and I can rely on her for anything. She has given me so much over the years, and I want to gift her something special to say thank you. She's a nurse and works incredibly hard, and works multiple double shifts to make ends meet. I hope you consider my mom to win, she 100% deserves it!!

[NickM882624]

Mothers Day was always fun as both a kid and adult. I would always make some drawing or art as a child and see the smile on her face. As an adult, it was equally enjoyable to see her smile when I would see her on Mothers Day. Those are great memories I will never forget.

[CiennaN884110]

My mother is an artist, an author, an interior decorator, a beautiful soul and the strongest mom anyone could ask for.  My mom always put my brother and I first when she was a single mom before she met my stepdad 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 bad because they didn't like my stepdad.  They withheld her wedding funds and even went to the lengths to try and convince my brother and I that we should live with our biological dad, who unfortunately wasn’t around. It was a hard time for us all, but my mom stayed strong throughout it all.  I chose to live with my mom and stepdad and my two stepsiblings.  They didn’t get a wedding, and she lost a relationship with my grandma and her sister because of that.  My mom hurt badly 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, called “Tornado Lies”.  I admire her strength despite her family trying to hurt her. I went through a difficult time during the custody battle which caused me to spiral into deep depression and do things I shouldn’t have done at that age. My mother never gave up on me.  She had to stay strong for me to heal.  She truly is a remarkable woman to have endured so much and remain strong for everyone else. She does so much for everyone else.  Despite her hardships, she always wears a smile and talks about her faith in God. 

She pours her heart into our family every single day. My mom never backs down from a challenge. She never gives up. Even on the hardest days, when things feel overwhelming, she continues to show up with kindness, compassion, and unwavering strength. She puts everyone else’s needs before her own, often setting aside her own happiness just to make sure we feel safe, loved, and cared for. 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, grocery shopping, cleaning and still manages to make dinner every night; she's a great cook too!  She does so much for everyone else. 

My mom has an outgoing personality; she can carry on a conversation with anyone.  She has a way of connecting and understanding how someone else feels, which is why she's loved by so many people. Sometimes strength can be hidden though. Unfortunately, my mom recently suffered from a still birth 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 a lot over these 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 and I want to see her happy.

She is the heart of our family.
She deserves to be reminded every single day how appreciated she truly is.
And while I know we don’t always say it or show it enough, I hope she knows how deeply loved and admired she is. Even if this never goes beyond a few readers, I just want the world to know she is an amazing woman, an incredible mother, and the reason our family is what it is today.

Plus if she won, the announcement would be close to her birthday!!!!  Her birthday is May 11th!  Happy Mother's Day and Happy Birthday Mom, I love you!!!!

[cmkirby]

When I was in 7th grade, I wanted more than anything to be the Jolly Green Giant for Halloween. My Mom put together a green costume for me and wrapped plastic vines around my body. To finish the look, she mixed green food coloring into cold cream and spread it over my hands and my entire face. When the cold cream was washed off, we realized that the food coloring had tinted my skin. I remained green for several days, despite all of the scrubbing. I’m now 65 years old and my Mom is 88, and we still laugh about this.

[JohnC1952]

My mother was bipolar and the disease would eventually take her from us too soon, at age 74. But I will never forget an adage she shared with me when I was fretting about something in high school. Mom said, “The things you worry about the most deserve the least amount of worry.” That has graced my life’s journey many times. Thanks Mom. 

[sassysuecross]

My mother didn't make my life very easy--but as I aged I realized she was passing on what was done to her. Her family was living in northern Alberta, Canada when her mother got pregnant with her and her father, who rode with the James Gang, told her to get rid of the baby or she'd never see him again--and he left her there with a 6 year old daughter and 3 slightly older sons. Birth happened in January in a blizzard and there was no doctor or such around but her eldest brothers got a vet to come. The vet gave my pregnant grandmother some medication that put her in a stupor which lasted her Duration. My mother was born healthy enough and her siblings held her to their mother's breasts to nurture her, while they were eating oats they had for their horses. Never learned how word reached distant family in America but somehow a horse-drawn wagon showed up to take them all to Nebraska. Their mother ended up institutionalized until she died something like 25 years later. I was the only child of my mother's 6 that she took with her to Nebraska and I met my grandmother--though my mother never told me who she was, and it took a long time until I realized I had met her! The children were all put to work on farms/ranches and taking care of houses, though of course the youngest needed a few years to be useful for any of these. My mother tearfully admitted to me once that she was given treats or such for tattling on her sister and her sister got beaten, and at times was innocent! Favorite sayings my mother had for me were "You think you're so smart; intelligent people end up crazy or in the gutter!" and "You'll never have a pot to pee in or a window to throw it out of!" I realized they were things yelled at her that she passed on. My father died when I was 20 and already had a 2 year old son and twin boys about 6 months old. After the funeral we were at her house while people were coming with food and such and I was in a bedroom changing my twins' diapers when my mother came in and tossed a big envelope on the bed and said, "You might as well have these; you were named after her!" Photos from my father's first wedding when he and his best friend married twin sisters. They thought his bride, Myrtle, was so exhausted from the big wedding plans but soon after getting married learned she had leukemia. People didn't survive cancer back then. After her death her sister asked my father if he ever had a daughter to name her Myrtle. I was the 4th girl and was given the name, so finally knew why I was treated like trash while my siblings weren't. My older siblings gradually stopped having communication with our mother but I did NOT. Though I had gotten a scholarlship at the University of Arizona so moved to Tucson and she lived in Mesa, on the edge of Phoenix, I stayed in touch--while getting my next 2 Psychology Degrees to help me deal with my childhood AND to not pass it on to my children. I would go up monthly and take her to get groceries or such. When I called I'd ask how everyone was and I remember stopping because she kept saying I was the only one she ever heard from. I cared, and I know she appreciated and NEEDED it. Somehow typing these memories doesn't make it sound like a positive take on my mother, but it helped me become the strong, independent, hyper-caring person I am, who raised 5 children mostly by my Self who all are Good People (including a diplomat and 2 police officers)--who went on to become a Special Ed teacher and helped many broken children find their strengths and move on also! 

[handsomepapa]

I miss my mom so much . My children and grandchildren were taken care of by my mom . I see their talents that they inherited from my mom . Because of my mother, my children and grandchildren are the best they can be . They are good parents because of my mom . Now I have great grandchildren and they are loved because my mom passed on her loving and caring characteristics. We miss you mom, grandma, greatgrandma and greatgreatgrandma Filomena Rocili . You are in heaven … our guardian angel … we miss you, love you but you are very very close to us … you are with us … your talents are in your entire family . Fly with the Angels mom .. Donna and Tami knows your secret recipes and is passing it to our Ohana.. you live through them … you will never be forgotten .. you and their papa  Rocili who soothe  them with his lullabies!!! 

[BruceW23402]

My mom is my best friend the one person who I can always count on for everything. But I have to share her with 3 other people mainly. My brothers and my sister. She always treats us all the same, never sharing more love for one than the other. She always seems to know who needs a little more attention at times. 80 years old and going strong. She is not perfect to the world but she is perfect to me in every way. 
i love her with all my heart. 

[CassandraG332721]

• I lost my precious mom when I was 25. She was my best friend. The most important thing she taught me was to pray. Every night from the time I could talk we would kneel down by my bed and ask the Lord to protect my soul and to bless our family. She was never able to get to know her 3 grandchildren or her 5 great grandchildren. Love you Mom! Happy Mother’s Day in heaven. 

[VictorR979291]

My mom and Grandma cared for everyone. They would always go out of their way to make sure that all my sister and my friends were taken care of and welcomed in their houses

[MelizzaC71]

If my mom had a superpower, it would be the ability to carry more than she should have to… and still make room for everyone else.
It would be the courage to keep going when stopping would make more sense.
It would be the kind of love that doesn’t announce itself loudly—but proves itself, day after day, in the smallest, most important ways.
And maybe—just maybe—that’s what makes it so powerful.
Because the world doesn’t always notice people like her.
There are no capes. No applause. No headlines.
Just a woman who keeps showing up.
Who keeps choosing love.
Who keeps holding everything together—quietly, stubbornly, beautifully.
So no, my mom doesn’t fly.
But she lifts people every single day.
And honestly?
That might be the greatest superpower of all. 💛

[jmcghee007]

Thank you mom for having super love.

[missy2]

We always went to church on Mother's Day.  All the ladies would be dressed up with new hats.  My Mother had a hat that was as big as a sunbonnet and filled with flowers.  People would tell her she had to sit in the back because they couldn't see around her hat!  We then went to Granny's house where all the aunts and uncles in the near area would show up with lots of food.  All my cousins would be there.  It was a great play day for us as young children.  As we got older, we were the helpers for the Mother's.  Almost all Aunts are gone except two...one is 1200 miles away.  Happy Mother's Day to all.  Enjoy them while you can.💕

[Dayton6055]

The recovery from my mom’s neurosurgery was not progressing well. I went to see her, understanding that her time was almost up. It was clear she wanted to communicate something to me. She struggled to form words, finding it quite challenging. After about 20 minutes, she said my name and then smiled. She then closed her eyes and gently fell asleep.

[j627439m]

 Our momma was sweet, kind and as her child you always felt safe and loved. She would answer all our questions, “but why mom” with the most simple answer to satisfy us.   I was probably 14 and nervous to tell her what I did.  “ Mom, I did something bad and I need to tell you”.  She took my hand and looked at me with her kind eyes and said, “before you tell me, do you think you can fix it”? I said, “maybe I can.” “Well why don’t you go do just that and if you still need me it’s ok.”  I did fix it and her advice was golden. I am now 73 and her advice has helped me several times. Thank you for letting me share my story. 

[mizbethe]

My moms greeting to visitors was often "Have you eaten?"

[SereneSeagull]

That’s a mom!  Always the caregiver and full of love!

[xxshalaxx]

MY MOMMA, SHES DIFFERENT .. SHE TAKES CARE OF LITERALLY EVERYONE BEFORE HER OWN SELF. VERY SELFLESS SHE IS. GROWING UP MY MOM WAS A SINGLE WORKING MOM, BROUGHT US TO WORK WITH HER, ALWAYS MADE SURE MY SISTER AND I NEVER WENT WITHOUT. IF I COULD THINK OF ANYONE WHO DESERVED SOMETHING SWEET LIKE THIS , IT WOULD ALWAYS BE HER. 

[sc70474417]

As my mother warned me many times, "Don't make love by the garden gate cause love is blind but the neighbors' aint."  This is true no matter your age! 

[SereneSeagull]

But it’s fun anyway!

[JohnC529790]

When my mom used to pack lunches for my dad and all six kids, she always included an unexpected treat!

[frankie9799]

My Mom is gone now. But she always that as long as we did our best there was nothing to be ashamed of. I share with my kids and grandkids. 

[joancarr19372]

My mom and grandmother “mom mom” were the best.  They died over 30 years ago but their memories make everything special