A person in my life who made a big impact on me was my Dad. He was a wonderful man who had so much life experience. He joined the service at age 20, served in WW II as a navigator and bombedier and then later served as a Captain in the field of Intelligence. He was missing in action for a few weeks when his plane was shot down. He was a patriot and was very proud to serve his Country.
When he came home and married, he went to college and became an Optometrist. He served in his community as a Councilman and ran for Mayor of our town. Community pride was something he always taught to us and he made a difference in our town with the things he did to make things better.
He was always involved with children and young adults. When their parents weren't involved or interested in something he could teach them, he would take the time to help them to learn; archery, gun safety and the proper use of a firearm, writing skills, woodwork, art, etc. If they had trouble with school work, he would take the time to teach them and was very patient and very detailed in his explanations. He wanted everyone to have a chance to succeed and took his personal time to see to it that someone would learn and believe in themselves. He made a difference in the lives that he touched by the way he did things.
Our Dad took us to museums and taught us history and to appreciate the world we lived in. We visited historic sites and went to Washington, DC to see the museums and government buildings: FBI, Treasury, etc. He wanted us to know about our history and our Nation.
Our Dad wanted us to know that we were very lucky to live in a Country where we could vote and could change things for the better of our entire Nation. Voting was a privilege and we were taught to never miss the opportunity to cast our vote for the things we believed in.
He also taught us to serve in our communities and give back to others; to always go the extra mile and to give everyone a chance without judging them.
He was someone who gave and did not expect to be praised or put on a pedestal. He would quietly go about doing his good deeds and took special pride when he could do something without someone finding out that he was the one who put money in an envelope and dropped it in a mailbox when a family was struggling; when he would drop a bag of groceries on a porch while a family slept.
He was a wonderful husband to our Mom, who he praised and adored, a fantastic father to his children and a great friend to all who were lucky enough to have him in their lives.
How can you not be grateful when you have had a wonderful example to base your own life on; to teach your own family as he taught you, to care about your fellow man and to give of yourself quietly and without expecting anything in return. He was my hero and I will be eternally grateful for the blessings he provided for me and my family.
(This is just a short example of what you could write about a parent, a teacher, a neighbor or a friend.)