"Suicide is no joking matter, depression has no face and sometimes a smile can just be a persons makeup."

Blaine's biggest obstacle for him to overcome was when he was 16...

"For this question it would have to be when I struggled with depression and suicidal thoughts and actions.

It was a dark time for me, I felt I was alone even in a room full of people.

My family life was falling apart due to my selfishness and I basically destroyed any positive relationship I had because anger was my reaction to cover up how confused I was inside. (I was angry my dad was gone for so long).

Suicide is no joking matter, depression has no face and sometimes a smile can just be a persons makeup.

It was surely mine, but I learned that such a choice is nothing but a permanent solution to a temporary problem.

I’ve made so many mistakes in my life and sometimes the haunt me. It’s normal. But I overcame that dark time by realizing my self worth.

I as a person had value and I could make a Difference and Be somebody I could be proud of.

My mistakes do not define me as a person but they help formulate my future choices. I realized my dreams are not just dreams, they can be reality that dreams are just opportunity without action."

Blaine's biggest accomplishment was between the ages of 18-20...

"Probably by far it was serving a two year service mission in Arizona.

It was hot, super hot, and basically hell. But I loved every minute of it.

It was hard to give up my life and just pack up and move to Arizona to just serve anyone and everyone. It was the most challenging and rewarding two years of my life."

Blaine's biggest inspiration is...

"My mother would be my greatest inspiration, although my father is by far the man I strive to be, my mother has qualities of strength that stand out to me beyond anything.

Being raised in a military family you would think we moved a lot, but we never did. My mom and dad chose to raise their family in Utah and only in Utah.

My father was deployed for a total of 17 years out of 30 years of marriage being in the Army special forces.

During these years my mom raised four little demons all on her own. She got up and showered us, dressed us, took us to school and picked us up. She made her time available for four different schedules and shared her love along the whole way.

She always made the best effort to make Christmas full of love even though dad was rarely there.

She wasn’t perfect, and she definitely had her days where it was too much.

As I got older I would catch glimpses of the heart ache my mother was experiencing. She missed her husband, she loved him and wished she could be with him.

As a family we all had to cope with the reality that the last time we saw our dad could be the last time.

Even through it all my mom always wore a smile and showed the most genuine love to my siblings and I. She showed me its possible to be positive even when it seems all you care about is out of reach. When it’s either goals, dreams, job opportunities. She’s the person who raised me into the man I am today and I owe her for that 👌🏽"

Written by Blaine Schroder.

**We plant a tree for each Facebook share!