After Chadwick Boseman, star of The Black Panther, died in August at the age of 43 from stage III colon cancer, it felt like there was nothing positive that could come from such a sad, senseless loss – but his widow Simone has shared a message of love and perseverance that may be the greatest lesson of all.
A tear-jerking tribute
Simone Ledward Boseman paid tribute to her late husband this week at the 30th annual IFP Gotham Awards, and she said a great lesson she learned from him was that he "made a practice of telling the truth."
"He is the most honest person I'd ever met," she said during the speech, which was her first time speaking in public since Chadwick's death.
Seeking truth and meaning
The truth, was something he actively searched for both himself and those around him.
“The truth can be a very easy thing for the self to avoid. But if one does not live in truth, then it's impossible to live life."
According to Simone, this quest for the truth “became how he lived his life, day in and day out. She described her husband and his mission as imperfect but determined.
“He was blessed to live many lives within his concentrated one. He developed his understanding of what it meant to be the one, the none and the all. 'A vessel to be poured into and out of,' he'd said."
Live with purpose
For Chadwick, says his wife, it was about the power of just letting go and letting God’s love lead and shine. "He realized that when one is able to recognize that when their strength does not come from themself, they rarely mess up. That's what he was doing when he was acting. Modeling for us a path to true fulfillment."
Simone told the audience not to let “his conviction” be in vain. “May our spirits be fertile soil for God's wisdom to fall upon. So thank you. Praise God," Ledward Boseman added.
She finished: "Chad, thank you. I love you. I am so proud of you. Keep shining your light on us. Thank you."
What a beautiful lesson that we can all learn and gain guidance from as we pursue our own unique paths, overcome challenges and seek to live more purposeful lives.
Keeping the bigger picture in mind and focusing on purpose also provides us some solace during the difficult moments when we have to say goodbye to someone we love.
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