Abraham Lincoln said everything he was and ever hoped to be, he owed to his “angel mother.”

Undoubtedly, Lincoln’s sentiment is shared by many.

This Mother’s Day, Patricia “Sister Schubert” Barnes, founder of Sister Schubert’s Homemade Rolls in Luverne, has created a Mother’s Day Story Contest in honor of her mother, Charlotte Wood. The contest is designed to gather stories about how mothers create quality time for their families.

As a mother of five and a grandmother of six, Barnes said she believes Mother’s Day is one of the most important celebrations of the year.

“Growing up, my mother was always doing something to make us feel special,” Barnes said. “She kept a cabinet stocked with small gifts and treats to reward us for our accomplishments and to cheer us up when we suffered a disappointment. That tradition has meant so much to me over the years, and I’ve continued it with my own family.”

The Mother’s Day Story Contest gives others the opportunity to tell about the special things their mothers have done and how they have dedicated themselves to their families.

“Write about what this means to you,” Barnes said. “Tell how it makes you feel.”

The contest is being offered nationwide and entries are coming in at a steady pace.

As of April 27, Barnes said more than 500 essays from all across the country have been entered.

“I’m thrilled at the response to the Mother’s Day Story Contest,” said Barnes, who will be judge and jury for the contest.

“Right now, one of my daily chores is reading the essays. I’m getting about 50 a day. So, I’ve got a file for those that have touched me and will definitely be considered. It’s not going to be easy because the entries have all be very good.”

To enter, the contestants can upload an essay of 750 worlds or less along with a photo to www.sisterschuberts.com/qualitytime/story.dT by the contest deadline of May 6.

To qualify, the stories must be about the contestant’s mother and must be accompanied by a photograph.

The winner of the Mother’s Day Story Contest will be announced by Barnes between the hours of 7 and 8 a.m. on the morning show on WAKA Channel 8 in Montgomery.

The winner will receive a $500 gift card and a large, hand-painted gift basket filled with Sister Schubert’s homemade rolls and specialty products.

Sister Schubert’s Homemade Rolls was founded by Barnes in Troy in 1991. Today, it is a subsidiary of the T. Marzetti Company, Lancaster Colony’s specialty food division. Sister Schubert’s produces 12 varieties of rolls at three bakeries – the company headquarters in Luverne, Saraland and Horse Cave, Ky.