“My grandmother,” wrote American author Amy Tan. “She's someone I never met, and I would've loved to have met her. She's been a huge influence on our entire family, not just me. She is a mystery.” 

Influence is a strange and deceptive force. It can be tangible or intangible. Obvious or subtle. It can mean big, public things that touch the lives of everyone, or quieter, smaller things that have a lasting impact.