A Birthday Gift for Mom

On my birthday last week, my son sent me a copy of a paper he wrote for one of his classes:

In every person’s life, there is someone who is a huge influence in their character and

personality. A person can have a positive influence on another, changing their lifestyle or

changing their life. This positive influence can be anyone, a teacher, a parent, a grandparent, a

friend, or someone on TV. A positive influence is someone who influences your behavior in a

positive way. A good influence can change your life and help you become a better person. For

me the most positive influence in my life is my mother.

My mother always had a positive influence on me throughout my entire life. She is the

one that made me who I am today. My mother’s name is Gayle Miyaguchi and was born and

raised on the island of Maui. Growing up my mother was very hard working, making a living

on my grandfather’s farm. Nothing in her life came easy which made her very independent;

she had to work hard in order to get what she wanted.

While attending college at the University of Hawaii my mother got pregnant with my

older brother and decided to put her education on hold. Four years later I was born and she

decided to once again put her education on hold. As a single parent my mother needed to take

care of two boys. She raised two boys all by herself and still was able to manage a job in order

to feed us. Growing up I watched my mom struggle to take care of us, we didn’t have much

money and we lived on my grandfather’s farm. As little kids my brother and I always had

something to do, although we didn’t have money, we lived happy lives. My mother would

always make time for my brother and me raising us to be hard workers. As I got older I

watched my mom change her life as well as mine. My mom wanted a better life for us and she

wanted to put us through college to get the education she never got to finish. Some years later

my mother decided to open her own business realizing her personal potential. I watched my

mom put together her own business and make her business a success. She had put together her

own hula supply shop, called Na Kani O Hula. At first business was slow, but with hard

work and help from my brother and me Na Kani O Hula become more popular. Several years

later my mother was able to buy our own house and we were living a life we never could

before. Her business kept growing and she was now able to put me through school.

For so long I observed my mother’s behaviors and personality, watching how she lives

life. Just from natural observation my mother has influenced my life in every way. All her

personality traits I want for myself, I’m influenced by her optimistic view on life and her hard

working character.

If not for my mother my life would not be the same, nor would I be the person I am

today. My behavior, personality, and character reflects my mother, she is the most positive

influence in my life. I am so proud of my mom that she was able to accomplish what she

always wanted to do, giving me an education. I have such a strong mind set to finish school

only because I got my mother’s positive influence to help me.

In the future I hope to pass on my character, behaviors, and personality to my children

becoming the positive influence in their lives.

I have to admit, my boys turned out all right ;)