Anyone who has talked to me knows about who I am, whether that is my personality, ethics, etc. Those all come from my mom, whose birthday was just yesterday.

Now I know there are people out there who either have great relationships with their mother or they do not. If you are lucky, you have some sort of mother figure in your life. 

My mom, before I was born, was set to be a teacher and graduated from high school a year early. She put her life on hold and her best interests aside for the best interests of me and my siblings. 

I cannot tell you how many times my mother took me and my siblings to practice, school, games or places we wanted to go growing up. I also cannot tell you how many times she was the first person to come to her children’s school, a teacher, a coach or another parent to defend her child if something was being done wrong to them. 

I have had a tough last month in my personal life, and in all reality, my life has not been easy. My mother taught me that there is always someone out there who has it worse than you, and that you cannot control the hand you are dealt, but you can control your future and how you work for it. 

I’ve persevered and worked hard to graduate with my bachelor’s degree. My mom finished with only her associate’s degree and was never able to go back to school. The reason I want this so bad for my life is because she did not get the opportunity to go to university when she rightfully should have.

My mother’s birthday was yesterday and sadly I was not able to go home for it due to my schedule. I saw her last week and gave her a birthday card and a gift card to Chipotle, which is her favorite restaurant. 

So, the point of this column is a dedication to my mother who has been the driving force in my life, and the most important reason for this column is to celebrate my mother’s birthday.

Happy birthday, Mom.

Blake Faith is a senior journalism major. He can be reached at 581-2812 or at bmfaith@eiu.edu.