Moments and Impact
Moments. Impact. Those are what we leave behind.
I've been thinking about Kobe in the last 48 hours. We pulled off the freeway and drove to the crash site an hour after the tragedy. I had spoken in a church that morning and we were on our way to our son's basketball tournament. I had to go to the site. HAD to. Why? Moments and impact.
Someone once said "We don't remember days, we remember moments." Maya Angelou said, "People will never forget how you made them feel." My boys play a lot of basketball at Kobe's Mamba Academy. They've seen Kobe many times there. A dad in black sweats loving his precious Gigi. My son DJ won't forget the moment outside the backdoor of Mamba when security told him "no" but Kobe said, "I got you." And Gigi took the photo. It was a moment.
One reporter shared about having a heart attack and then a bouquet of flowers showed up. From Kobe. That was a moment.
Stephen A. Smith lost his mom last year. Who called? Kobe. A moment.
And the good news is, we don't have to play basketball like Kobe or be famous to make moments. They can be made behind-the-scenes. With no fanfare. With great love.
John Wooden challenged us to "make every day your masterpiece." Did anyone do this better than Kobe Bryant? His last day was a masterpiece. He got up early. Went to church with his daughter and celebrated the Lord's supper. He ate the bread and drank the cup in remembrance of Jesus Christ. A good way to start any day. And he went to coach his girls. Not for money or cameras. For love.
The good news is that we don't have to play basketball like Kobe or be famous to have a great impact. Little acts of love will do the trick. A kind word. Encouragement. Service. Little acts of love that make masterpiece days can add up to a mountain of impact.
If I live my life with a little more excellence because of Kobe, that affects those around me. And those around them. And so forth. Impact.
If I love better.
If I dream bigger.
If I send the flowers.
If I try to make my day a masterpiece.
Moments and impact...for others. For love.
Maybe the measure of a man or woman is moments and impact.
Kobe gave us both.
“We don’t remember days, we remember moments.”