“Oh my God!” Is all I could say last Sunday as I sat on the couch next to my husband holding my cellphone in my hand. I had just opened up my Facebook app to see, “Kobe Bryant killed in a helicopter crash in California!” My heart literally dropped and sadness overwhelmed me. I’ve never been an avid sports fan but I grew up in a Laker house and I remember all too well watching from afar Kobe’s career from beginning to end. While he most definitely left a mark in the sports world, in the wake of his death I am learning of the legacy he left after leaving the courts. He was a husband, father, mentor, coach, and an encourager to name a few. He was just as passionate about those things as he was a ballplayer, yet with a quietness that revealed the genuineness of his heart. Kobe’s character is standing tall in the wake of this tragedy and I for one am proud of the man he was.
In times like these, we must question the direction of our own legacy. Are we living a life that deeply impacts others? After all, we are purposed to serve others in one way or another. We have the power to write our own legacy by the way we live our lives. What will you be remembered for? When others tell your story, what will they say? Even for those of us who are authors, do the words we write about ourselves reflect the truth of our reality?
It’s not too late to begin building your legacy. Start first with those in your inner circle of family and friends. Kobe Bryant and the death of his daughter, Gianna, and the seven other passengers have sparked a movement of unity across the world that I haven’t seen in a long time. Now is the time to love on those you may have been neglecting. Take the extra effort and show an act of kindness to someone you don’t know. You have the power to write your own legacy, begin today!
*My deepest condolences go out to each of the families: the Bryants, Altobelli’s (especially the surviving siblings, my heart hurts for the loss of basically your whole family), the Mausers, Chesters, and Zobayan family. Each of them left impacts on the lives of those they encountered. Reading the tributes about them helps us to see that their legacies will continue to live on as well. May the God of all peace comfort you and heal your broken hearts.
Ashley Witcher CEO of The Write Legacy LLC
See what Kobe had to say about his own legacy: https://nba.nbcsports.com/2016/04/12/kobe-bryants-legacy-in-his-own-words/
Photo courtesy of people.com