“I knew exactly what had happened when I got the call. Why did I go on this stupid band trip? I should have been there. I should have stayed by her side. She promised me everything was going to be okay, hell she convinced me to go. My life was crashing down around me, the plane ride was unbearable, and I found no words to speak.”
Blaine Martin’s mother was diagnosed with leukemia when he was a sophomore at Boone High School, and passed away when he was a senior. His life has forever changed since the tragic news.
Martin is currently 50, and it’s been nearly 31 years since the biggest obstacle he’s ever had to overcome. Martin married his high school sweetheart, Terri Martin, who stuck by his side, through it all. He now resides in LeMars, Iowa, and has two beautiful daughters, Lindsay and 
Madison.
Martin is short with a solid stature. He blames his silver hair and goatee on the stresses of living with three women for most of his life. His to-the-point answers reflect on his disciplinarian father. However, his short answers do not hide the hurt trapped behind his ocean blue eyes.
The death of his mother negatively affected his relationship with his father, Burdell Martin. His father dealt with the passing by turning to alcohol and engaging in a number of dead end marriages. The occasional phone call, and the once a year Christmas gathering is the only contact he has with his father. It is a shame something so tragic pulled a family apart instead of bringing them together when they needed each other most.
“I can’t help but
wonder what our relationship would be like if she was still here,” said Martin
Martin’s relationship with his father has affected his parenting approach. He wants to be there for his daughters in each aspect of life, because he knows what it’s like to not have a parental figure supporting him.
Martin’s daughter, Madison, says, “He never misses a chance to spend time with us, even if it means attending 100 dance competitions and recitals.”
The passing affected Martin’s life positively when he was forced to grow up faster than most high school students. He cooked, cleaned, did laundry, and even ironed his clothes. All of which, his wife appreciated when they got married.
Martin misses “the day to day contact…the thing I miss the most is my children not getting to know her.”
His wife Terri said, “I know he wishes his mom would have been around to watch our girls grow up, but I know she is very proud of him as a father, and what he has accomplished in life.”
The life-changing event taught Martin to enjoy each day, and never dwell on the little things.