Vanessa Bryant has experienced tragedy like few others have.
Not only did she lose her husband, Kobe Bryant, and 13-year-old daughter Gigi in a horrible helicopter crash, but the incident played out on a global stage. The mother of four was forced to endure the loss while details of the crash were being leaked to the press, and had to share her grief with millions of others who idolized the basketball legend.
Related: Vanessa Calls Out Evan Rachel Wood For Labeling Kobe A ‘Rapist’ After Tragic Death
The way she has survived and overcome these incomprehensible circumstances earned her a spot in People’s Women Changing the World issue. But carrying on after such a tragedy isn’t always easy. She told the mag:
“I can’t say that I’m strong every day. I can’t say that there aren’t days when I feel like I can’t survive to the next.”
Vanessa continued:
“This pain is unimaginable [but] you just have to get up and push forward. Lying in bed crying isn’t going to change the fact that my family will never be the same again. But getting out of bed and pushing forward is going to make the day better for my girls and for me. So that’s what I do.”
People lauded the 38-year-old for taking over Kobe’s multimedia company Granity Studios as well as relaunching his charity Mamba & Mambacita Sports Foundation. And of course, she continues to uphold the legacy both athletes left behind. The latter has taken on some surprising forms lately, including admonishing rapper Meek Mill for his disrespectful reference to her husband’s death in a leaked track.
As to how she manages it, she explained:
“I guess the best way to describe it is that Kobe and Gigi motivate me to keep going. They inspire me to try harder and be better every day. Their love is unconditional and they motivate me in so many different ways.”
Vanessa’s surviving daughters Natalia, Bianka, and Capri also serve as her motivation to carry on. She shared:
“My girls help me smile through the pain. They give me strength.”
Vanessa has shared many remembrances of her deceased loved ones on social media, as well as many adorable and heartwarming posts about her daughters. Most recently, she shared a sweet photoset of her youngest, Capri, wearing her dad’s big sneakers (below).
Related: Vanessa Bryant’s Grief: ‘You Don’t Feel Like Being Alive’
Honoring her whole family, she added:
“I want to make Kobe, Gigi, Natalia, Bianka and Capri proud.”
We can’t imagine what this last year has been like for Vanessa and her kids, and we truly commend her for how she continues to handle the tragedy. We have no doubt Kobe and Gigi would be so proud.
[Image via WENN/Avalon & Vanessa Bryant/Instagram]
The post Vanessa Bryant Talks Motivation From Kobe & Gigi, Says Daughters Help Her 'Smile Though The Pain' appeared first on Perez Hilton.
