When they were approached to host a Mother's Day TV special, Donny and Marie Osmond couldn't help but reflect on their own mother.

"This is such a special day for us because we love our mother so much," Donny said. "And it's a pretty significant day for us because she passed away on Mother's Day four years ago. We couldn't turn this down."

"Mother Osmond," as Olive was known to legions of Osmond fans, died May 9, 2004, 2 1/2 years after suffering a stroke. And both Donny and Marie said they had her in mind when they agreed to host "Teleflora Presents America's Favorite Mom," which airs tonight at 6 on NBC/Ch. 5.

Thousands of mothers — from stay-at-home moms to working moms to military moms — were nominated by their friends and families. A panel narrowed the field to 15, who were introduced to viewers on the "Today Show" this past week. Voting online, viewers have chosen five finalists and will choose the winner, who will take home thousands of dollars in cash and prizes.

"The mothers of today are unique," Marie said. "It's this whole thing of doing it all, hearing it all and trying to do it all perfectly. And I think sometimes it's a very difficult expectation."

"The most underpaid, overworked profession in the world is to be a mother," Donny said. "I don't know how my mother did it with nine children in show biz, and I don't know how Marie does it" with eight.

When it was pitched to him, Donny wasn't convinced that an Osmond-hosted Mother's Day special was a good idea.

"I'll be honest with you. ... As soon as I heard the concept — Donny and Marie hosting a Mother's Day special — I thought, 'Well, maybe we ought to pass out insulin shots to everybody afterward because it's going to be really sweet,"' he said. "But then they told me, 'No, read the script. You'll understand exactly where we're going with this thing."'

"We're very excited about (it), since our mom passed away on Mother's Day," Marie agreed. "And mothers, I'll tell you, they're the nucleus of life. I believe that this kind of an honor is something that we really do need."

Marie said all of her brothers learned a lot from their parents about "the family structure where you have a woman in the home who is treated equally and who is cherished and adored. They're like a team. ... And that was what our parents taught." (George Osmond passed away in November 2007 at the age of 90.)

It's something that Marie sees in her married nephews — something that "passes down" from generation to generation. "I think it starts with the respect for the woman, and my dad had incredible respect for my mother."

Donny said his mom's best advice was a rather familiar saying.