The List Challenge: Day 1

1. People who have influenced you or inspired you

• My father.  I've always been a daddy's girl.  He influenced my love of sci-fi and fantasy, my need to read, my knowledge of computers and computing and many, many more things. He taught me that different was ok, to always do my best and that unconditional love is just that - unconditional.  I hope I'm passing the qualities that he helped instill into me into my own children.
• Mrs. DePalma.  She was my math teacher in New York.  She took a chance on me in 8th grade, letting me into the 9th grade Math I class.  When, during the next year, I had a schedule conflict with the Math II class, she taught me during her planning period.  During that time, she pushed me beyond just learning Math II, because she knew that I could do it.  She never accepted excuses because she knew I could do it.  She believed in me, and that helped me go further in my life.
• Susan Niebur of Toddler Planet.  I've never met her, but I've been reading her blog for quite some time.  Susan is a four-time cancer survivor, mom of two boys, astrophysicist and strong woman.  I often think that I wouldn't have the courage to go on with a positive attitude, but Susan does.  It's not to say she's always positive and upbeat.  She has her down days like the rest of us.  But even in those posts, I can see her strength.  I hope that, should I ever have to face even half of what she has had to past several years.