Who Influenced you most?

My friend, musician Shane Howard, posts questions every day.

One day, he asked, "Who in your life has influenced you the most? How did they do it?"

I posted my answer and shared it with my Facebook friends. But, I wanted to get into things a little deeper as I sat thinking of things...

Influenced? That would be my father. He taught me how to find humor in almost everything. He taught me it was okay to cry when my grandfather died. He taught me to take chances, even if you had no idea what the outcome might bring (good, bad or ugly). He taught me "not to spit in the ocean" and to "not take wooden nickels." He also taught me that alcoholism can destroy families and hurt childhoods. He taught me that if you want to break yourself of such habits, you can. He taught me that it was okay to be VERY different from the most of the world. He taught me to enjoy ALL kinds of music and all types of movies. In word, he taught me how to be a man. He died in 2007, and not a day goes by that I don't think of something I wish I could show him or tell him or share with him.

So, who influenced YOU most?