The Best Mother's Day Reactions We Received This Year

Every year, the week after Mother's Day is one of our favorites at Bolapawzi. That's when the messages start coming in — photos, videos, voice notes, long emails written at midnight. Customers sharing the moment their mom opened her portrait.

This year's reactions were the most moving we've ever received. Here are our favorites, shared with permission, in their own words.

"She held it for ten minutes without saying anything."

— Sarah, gifting a portrait of her mom's Golden Retriever, Biscuit

"My mom lost Biscuit last November. I commissioned the portrait in February so I'd have time. When she opened it on Mother's Day, she just held it. Didn't say a word for what felt like forever. Then she said, 'He looks exactly like himself.' That was it. That was everything."

"My sister called me crying from the other room."

— Marcus, gifting a portrait of his sister's three cats

"I gave it to my sister on behalf of our whole family. She took it into the living room to unwrap it privately, and thirty seconds later I heard her crying. She came back out holding it against her chest. She said, 'How did they get all three of them right?' I didn't have an answer. I just said, 'They're really good.'"

"She said it was the first time she'd cried happy tears in years."

— Priya, gifting a portrait of her mom's rescue dog, Mango

"My mom adopted Mango during a really hard time in her life. He's been her constant companion for six years. When she saw the portrait, she said, 'This is the most thoughtful thing anyone has ever given me.' Then she said she hadn't cried happy tears in years. I'm not ashamed to say I cried too."

"She immediately knew which photo I used."

— Tom, gifting a portrait of his mom's Dachshund, Pretzel

"The moment she saw it, she said, 'That's from the day we went to the park in October.' She was right. It was a photo I'd taken on my phone without her knowing. She said Pretzel had that exact expression whenever he was about to steal someone's sandwich. The artist captured it perfectly."

"She's already ordered one for her sister."

— Lily, gifting a portrait of her mom's two Poodles

"My mom loved it so much that by the end of Mother's Day dinner, she'd already decided to order one for her sister's birthday. She said, 'I want everyone I love to have one of these.' That's the best review we could have hoped for."

If you're reading this and thinking about next year — or about any upcoming occasion — we'd love to help you create a moment like these. Our portraits take 7–12 business days, so there's always time to plan ahead.