Dear John,

My mom worked her entire life to make sure my brother and I were supported, so that I could go to college, and pursue my dreams. And then, at age 75, she was abruptly fired and told she would have to move out of the hotel she lived and worked in, where she raised us.

She had no savings or retirement after supporting me and my brother on her single income and she began to quickly look for jobs. As she faced rejection from job after job due to ageism and lack of regard for older people, I decided to do what I could to support her. Together, we wrote a bucket list of everything she wanted to do but didn’t do because of her job. I started filming, and these adventures of ours became the documentary Duty Free. You can watch the trailer for Duty Free here.

This Mother’s Day, I’m so proud of my mom and everything we accomplished together. As my mom says, “one of the great joys of being a mother is to see love come out in simple ways.”

Duty Free is available to stream virtually and watch in-person across the United States! Click here to reserve your tickets today.

After you’ve watched the film, click here for a step-by-step guide for creating your own bucket list with your mom or other loved ones. Then take a picture of your list or an activity you’ve done from it and tag @dutyfreefilm and #DutyFreeBucketList and @caringacrossgen on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook!

Our documentary has been described by CBS News as a “love poem from son to mother” and that’s exactly what I wanted to make for my mom. She helped me achieve my dreams, and I want to help her achieve hers. My mom faced so many barriers — ageism at work, economic insecurity, a culture where care is undervalued — and experienced real loss when she was fired.

On Mother’s Day, I am thinking about how the work that our mothers do, and the love, joy, and care of older adults is often so invisible. When we decided to do the bucket list, it was so that my mom could experience real joy. Joy that we all deserve, at every age.

Have some joy with us: create your bucket list and share it with us using #DutyFreeBucketList and tagging @dutyfreefilm and @caringacrossgen for a chance to win up to $500 to cross off one of your bucket list items.

Happy Mother’s Day.

With care,

Sian-Pierre and Rebecca
Duty Free