“We all have two lives, and the second begins when we realize we only have one.”
Just a few months ago, I got a tattoo to symbolize that quote. I wanted it to serve as a constant reminder of how precious this life is and to make the most out of every day.
While I have tried my best to live by that rule of thumb ever since, the sudden and tragic death of Kobe Bryant on Sunday forced me to re-evaluate my whole perspective on this crazy thing we call life. I found myself questioning the whole point of it all, or if there even is one. Because Kobe shouldn’t have died on Sunday. He shouldn’t have had to go through the pain and anguish of holding his 13-year-old daughter in his final moments, knowing there was nothing he could do to save her. Something that harsh shouldn’t happen to someone as great as Kobe.
I, like the rest of the world, have been grieving and trying my best to move past this unthinkable event in the days since. In my grief and reflection, I was finally able to find some solace this morning. Kobe Bryant the human may be gone, but Kobe Bryant the legend will never die.
Everyone has their own definition of what a legend is. But for me, a legend is someone who has touched and inspired so many people that, even in death, their impact on this world will continue to live on through us.
It doesn’t matter where you’re from or what you’ve done in your life, Kobe’s unbelievable work ethic and his constant pursuit of greatness can inspire all of us. His contagiously positive attitude and willingness to always help his fellow man is something we can all strive for. For how great Kobe’s accomplishments were throughout his life, he never achieved the unachievable. He simply showed us what unwavering dedication to a craft can achieve. He showed us the power that each and every one of us have.
That’s legendary. That’s what Kobe Bryant gave to all of us.
So while we continue to mourn the passing of Kobe, his daughter Gigi, and the seven other victims who died in that helicopter crash, do your part to make sure the legacy Kobe left behind doesn’t drift away.
None of us can control who lives and who dies, but we all play a part in how those who pass away are remembered. Kobe will continue to live on through us because legends never die.