who in your lives has given you the strongest influences? most people are affected so strongly by someone strong, or by several strong people in thier lives. for me it was a few people, my great grandmother, grandmother, mom, my step dad and my brother. my great grandmother showed me what it was never to meet a stranger. her door was open to anyone and a plate of food was not far behind. she had a love that anyone could feel just being around her.
my grandmother showed me what true strength and courage was. being the first woman guard in a all male max security prison and never being afraid to get into the thick of the mess showed me that a woman can have just as much guts as any man. she showed a strength that is very rare these days. to take a job that seems almost impossible and do it just as well as anyone else that has the job, better in some ways.
my mom and step dad are the reasons i have have the southern ways about me. yes sir and no sir, yes ma'am and no ma'am. taking care of myself and caring for others even when it takes away from what i want to do. in the long run you will sleep better knowing you helped someone that needed it.
my brother taught me to be strong. all the hell i went through at his hands made me tough, and ready to face alot of the mess the world throws at you. he showed me that even if it hurts, get back up and keep going till its finished. never give up. roll with the punches and overcome what is in front of you no matter what it takes.
these are a few of the influences in my life,, what say you?

i would say my brother-nlaw as he has always been there when one or even i needed something. he even stated as along its doesnt cost a fortune. so you know he would offer money if needed and yet i havent ask.(might be a good idea)
my brother n-law mom died when he was 16 and he had always been close to our family. my sister has been married to him for 32yrs and she has known him for 34yrs they got married right after highschool..

i would also say my mom. and my sisters also my children.. but i think mainly my brother-nlaw
i would say my dad but hes not the type to be a good influence as he was really never there for us.im not saying my dad was bad, he just wasent there that often. to much of a workaholic

Definitly my mom. She has been here for me every step of the way. She is my support system and my best friend. I could never ask for another mom

Without quesiton, my mom is my biggest influence. My dad died when I was just 4. I have 2 brothers and 3 sisters and at the time of his death, we ranged in age from 14 to 8 mths. My mom went to work, never dated anyone, just totally concentrated on raising us. She worked two jobs up until 2yrs ago when she was forced to quit the second job due to a heart attack. She has always been there for each and every one of us and never fails to come thru when we need her most. She's become my best friend, even though we don't always see eye to eye.

If I can be 1/4 of the woman she is, I'll be a dang good woman!!!!

my mom, my youngest sister, and my children!!!!

my mom is korean, did not know the language or how to read or rite when she first came here and my dad abused her. she stayed with him until we all graduated high school...stressing the importance of an education and made me believe i could do anything i set out to do.

my youngest sister has always been the "beautiful" one--- she reaches back and inspires me, encourages me, and always tells me how beautiful i am.

my children-- (15 yo, 16 yo, and 18 yo) have been very supportive, they raise me now! recently relocating to fort worth with their dad- seem to always text me or call and say I LOVE YOU. they made it easy!

My Mom,Dad and my Brothers. They were the biggest influences in my life. They taught me that things are never as bad as they seem. That there's a light to hang onto that will pull you through no matter what the problem is. I have lived by that all my life. Thank You for posting this.

My Father, he always worked hard to provide and did the best he could with this defective spawn. My grandfather because of how tough he is and all the **** he went through. They both taught me about honor and how to handle physical pain, like a man. Family always came first for them.

Also GG Allin he died a legend not giving a ****.
Bukowski Has influenced me a lot today, he understands the pain that women can cause in a life.
Fat Mike of NOFX - The music, it keeps me going on and has since I was 16. Allows me to direct my anger at the government and makes me laugh when i am down.

Also Charles Bronson - he knew how to handle his weapon
And Ron Jeremy, that dude looks like super Mario and uses his big mushroom well. It's something to aspire to.

My dad, who taught me how to laugh at everything, regardless of how bad it was, there was always humor and something positive to take away.

And my mom, for showing me how to be a strong woman who can handle anything.

I'd probably have to say Chris my best friend Adam and my dad and without getting too mushy here i'd have to say you and suz are in there too

My dad taught me how to be strong no matter what lifes throws this way

Adam taught me its okay to not hide in the shadows that sometimes makin a fool of yourself can be fun because we all gotta live a little

And then there's you Suz and Chris all of you taught me friendship is the strongest weapon when things are really messed up. the world is retarded and not everyone will accept me for me including all the little "differences" those who dont arent real friends those who do are the best friends one could ask for and without those i just mentioned i really dont know what kind of shape my life would be in today

Music...cause music is yet to kill anyone.

Both of my parents and they bestowed what their parents taught them on me. I was too young to know both of my grandpa's and hearing about them inspired me through life. My paternal grandma died when my dad was 18 years old, so never knew her but she was still an influence on my life, basically with music, as my grandpa's were also because they were musically inclined also. But their characteristics rubbed off on me also. My maternal grandma made me witty and I wish I was more like her in the way she spoke what was on her mind. She never hesitated about what to say. She was also a kind woman like Thumper mentioned in his, well, she would cook enough food for the whole town to come eat. As my parents put it, she had enough for Cox's Army. Her and my grandpa were very giving people and would do anything for anybody. When my mom was little, all the neighborhood kids would play at their house because they had a playhouse in the backyard, and when the ice cream truck came around, her dad would buy everyone an ice cream if he had enough money, but if he didn't have enough to buy everyone an ice cream, nobody would get one at all. I am so proud of my grandparents as well as my parents in all they went through, The great depression in the 30's and all through life we went through some of the same troubles they had, except being burned out of their homes at least two times, but they had faith in God, they were christian people.

Sorry I made this so long, but that is just a third of what they meant to me. They showed me the true meaning of what family is all about. That sums it up right there.

influences are not nessecerally family or friends. they have a more direct line to you than anyone else but your environment has alot to do with who you are. where you come from, what things were like at school, what things were like out on your own for the first time. diffrent things create strength and character in each of us. we are products of our society. its very true what doesnt kill you makes you stronger. and the stronger you are the more your true friends will lean on you. they might not have had what you had growing up. they feed off the strength that you exude. its an circle,, everything in life comes back at one point or another. if you let your surroundings dictate who you are then you dont show alot of strength. rising above everything around you to make yourself better than you were is the symbol of true strength and spirit. my grandfather was dirt poor, and built himself with the help of family and very hard backbreaking work to be a man who is completely self sufficiant and want for nothing. he showed me what a real days work is, and what i can do for your spirit.

I cant put my finger on any one person who influenced my life........I think LIFE influenced my life.....making mistakes and learning from them and then making more mistakes.....geeeeeeeeeez I need a good influence!!!

My mother & my ex husband; because they were the people I wanted love from the most, & tried to please the most. Neither were very good influences.
I have an uncle who is honest, affectionate, loves animals, history,nature & books. He's got a great sense of humor & is very respected by all who know him. I aspire to be like him.

My grandmother. She was there when my parents were doing farm work. She's the one who made me do my spelling words. She also had control of the Satellite remote.

Also Bobbie Sue. She's the girl in high school that I had a crush on that was my friend but never anything more. She's the reason I'm as outgoing as I am.
And for those that have met me, that should scare you.

And then there was Spongebob Squarepants!!!! Huuuuuuuuuge influence on my life!!! Arr Arr ARR!!!

my patients--- from the first one in nursing school who died of cancer and her wonderful supportive family to my current ones in labor and delivery who say THANK YOU or could not have made it without you!!!
also my coworkers-- they inspire me to be the best

When I was pregnant I had a hard time breathing and decided to go to the emergency room, they admitted me, and found 3 blood clots in my lungs.

My daughter was 2 months premature, she was in a "chicken box" for a few weeks and on a ventilator for 3 days, her tiny little 3lb 14oz body fought and fought to survive, meanwhile I was in a coma and when I woke up she had been taken C-section, when I woke up I had to have many blood transfusions, and I remember being taken to see her one morning, and I felt like death, I remember praying and saying to the Goddess "You've brought me through so much in this life, and I am thankful, however, you're not going to let this beautiful little girl fall in love with her mom and then take me away from her, so if you're going to take me, do it now, and if you're not, stop f*cking with me"

she's 6 almost 7 now, and you would never think she was ever that small and fraile.

She saved my life, for if I wasn't pregnant, I never would have gone to the hospital for my "breathing problem"

It will be great when she's a teen and says "I never asked to be born" and I can respond with "I was in a coma for you" that beats the 27 hour labor response that most moms can give...