Dreams CAN Come True

What or who has been the biggest influence in your writing and why?

Easy question.  Without a doubt the biggest influence in my writing has been my kids.  

Writing has been my dream for many years now and while it's something that I am doing for myself, I'm also doing it for my kids.  We all have dreams.  Many of us give up on some of those dreams along the way.  I've been tempted, and have hit several slow spots along the way, but every now and then I think about the message my finally reaching my dream and succeeding will send to my kids.  That thought gives me that little extra push I need on those days I don't want to open my document or when I feel like I can't do it.  

I started writing when my oldest son started high school and I had a silly thought that I'd be sold by the time he graduated.  That didn't happen.  So I made a new goal for when my second son graduated high school.  It didn't happen again so I continued that though process with my daughter.  Granted, I got a little lost somewhere along the way there, and not surprisingly, it didn't happen again.   I have one child left at home and 5 years before he graduates high school.  Not that graduation has to be my deadline, but I'd like to think this time it CAN happen.  

Some day, I'll be able to call my kids and tell them I sold a book.  I did it.  I reached my dream and they can too.   What better dream can a mother have than to show her kids with a little perseverance, dreams really can come true.  

So that's my biggest influence, what's yours?