Moment:
Sunday, February 2nd at 4:13 PM
”Death is not the end, but is a new beginning.”
The last week of January brought about the loss of two people who were really influential in my life, one of whom I knew personally and another I looked up to through a screen. I found myself reflecting on the things I had learned from them, and what I would remember about them, which made me think about what I would want people to remember about me. And thus, this post was born.
The first was a 101-year old grandfather-figure named Krupaiah Boyalapalli, or Dada (grandpa in Hindi) as we would call him. I’ve known him since I was about two years old, and especially since my grandparents all lived in India when I was growing up, he and his wife were grandparents to my brother and I, praying over us on our birthdays, making sure we took that fourth serving of food, and teaching us what it meant to lead godly lives. We even spent summers with them when my mom was in college. Dada played a mean tambourine, and had a powerful voice when he sang and prayed. His name meant “man of grace,” and he never failed to acknowledge the grace of God in his life.
I remember when our family was flying to India with Dada and Dadi when I was in elementary school, and I sat between the two of them. On the long haul flights, every time he would wake up from sleep, he would pray for safety for everyone on board, then turn to me to ask if I needed to get up (he had really long legs and sat in the aisle, so it would take a lot of climbing on my part to get out). We played matching games on the seatback screens, and at almost 90 years old, he was a LOT better at it than I was. He was an old soul but definitely young at heart.
The second person, coincidentally sharing the same initials, was Kobe Bryant. There are always mixed feelings when a celebrity passes away, because they had a huge impact on people’s lives, but most of those people never knew them personally. I was inspired by his drive, his dedication to the sport and his team, as he played for the Lakers for his entire career, and his willingness to pursue other passions, like his music. Although basketball isn’t a very big part of my life anymore (probably because I peaked at 5’1”), for a big part of my childhood, I played on teams at both school and church, and I lived for it.
I remember practicing behind the school and yelling “KOBE!” every time we would shoot a 3-pointer. We loved it so much that it trickled into the classroom in a game known as “trash-ketball,” and one English teacher made a rule that if we actually landed the paper ball into the trash can, then we wouldn’t get in trouble, but if we missed, we’d get detention points. One of my fondest memories was running outside after an awards ceremony in our dresses and heels to get in a quick game, much like his daughter Gianna did. It resulted in a gnarly scar on my left knee, but that wasn’t the only thing I got from basketball. Kobe Bryant was one of those people who redefined basketball, and through the sport, I forged bonds and learned lessons that I still carry with me to this day.
Both of these people were people I viewed as invincible. I don’t believe in immortality on this earth (I do believe in eternal life in heaven with God), but Dada had such strength and mental clarity even after a century, and Bryant was in the prime of his life following a successful 20-season career, so it seemed like nothing could bring them down. Their passing was a stark reminder that earthly life always comes to an end, and there’s no right time. People are always taken too soon, no matter how long they lived, so it’s up to us to make sure that regardless of where we are in life, we are giving it our all. We don’t get to take anything with us when we die, but the most important thing we leave behind is our legacy.
So what do I want to be remembered for? I want to be remembered as someone who exuded joy and loved people because Christ loved me first. I hope that people will think of me as a person who helped bring healing to their body and mind alike, and even if I didn’t have an impact on THE world, I want to have had an impact on MY world. I learned from Dada that we are nothing without God, so we should honor him in everything we do, and I hope that will be my legacy.
P. S. This song, “Legacy” by Nichole Nordeman, is one of my favorites:
