It goes without saying that without my father this book wouldn’t exist, but this book doesn’t exist without my mother either. My dad wrote the words and created the art, but my mom made it possible (and still does) for all of us to thrive in our pursuits, and together they lived life to the fullest and were a team. Without my mother conscientiously holding on to and exposing me to my father’s work all those years while I was growing up, the world would not have gotten such personal insight into Bruce Lee and neither would I. Thank you, Mom, for preserving our family’s legacy, for loving me, for teaching me to be kind and caring, and for raising me up to be whoever I wanted to be. I love you.
To Brandon, I miss you every day. Thank you for being such a wonderful big brother and for being there for me in so many ways. Even now, I still feel you with me.
Without my daughter, Wren, I would not have become the more whole and responsible human I am today. Wren, you help me to discover myself. You have been my greatest teacher and my deepest love. You are such a beautiful soul, and I am so grateful for the depth and naturalness of our relationship. It is an honor to be your mother. You’re the best daughter ever, and I love you.
To my nuclear Bruce Lee Enterprises Family, Sydnie Wilson, Chris Husband, Lydy Walker, and Jess Scott, thank you for being so supportive of me. You gave me the time and space to write at home, and you were always so positive and encouraging. You helped me manage the process with such ease—logistics, feedback, digging through the archives, etc. Thank you for being colleagues and friends. And, Sydnie and Chris, thank you for giving me your hearts and not just your heads, for being on this roller-coaster ride with me and holding on tight, and for being my extended family in this life.
A big thank-you to Sharon Lee, without whom there would have been no Bruce Lee podcast. Sharon was the catalyst for the podcast, and the podcast was the catalyst for the book. Had we not had so much fun talking philosophy, I would not have attracted the attention of Albert Lee and Jane von Mehren of the Aevitas Creative Management literary agency. Thank you, Sharon. I am forever grateful for you and your spark!
Albert and Jane, thank you for reaching out to this novice and asking me to write a book—something I’d always secretly wanted to do. How did you know? Your enthusiasm, experience, and guidance has been invaluable. Thank you for helping me find a home for this book, and, Jane, thank you for supporting me throughout the whole process and being such a tremendously caring, warm, and skilled advisor.
Thank you Nicole Tourtelot, who was my aide, my confidante, my second brain, and a skilled technician and writer in her own right. Thank you for walking me through the process from proposal to finished manuscript. Thank you for being my ears and eyes, for listening so intently and consciously, and for helping me to organize and express myself. Your love of the material and your genuine and easygoing personality made this process enjoyable and smooth. I am grateful.
To everyone at Flatiron Books, thank you. There has been and will be so much support from so many of you throughout this process. Please know I am hugely appreciative. Special thanks to Bob Miller, for understanding the project so clearly and being so keen on publishing this book from the outset, and to Sarah Murphy, for your thorough, clear, supportive, and perceptive editing. You are a pleasure to work with and I am so grateful for your affection for the material and your experience and sincere support.
To the painful teachers in my life, thank you. I have grown through our experiences in ways that have been astonishing and profound. I am grateful for the challenges you presented me that made me look more deeply at myself. I have love for you all.
There are too many other beautiful, important people to thank who have helped mold and support me, but I will acknowledge just a few. Joy Margolis, my soul sister; Tony Leroy, my light; Liz Odders-White, my constant friend; Sasa Woodruff, my podcast facilitator, friend, and fellow foodie; Kalyn Cai Bennett, my new friend and giver of wisdom; Dennis Chang and Mike Sullivan, my uplifting, fun, and kick-ass collaborators; and new friends, thank you. Thank you all, for your enthusiasm, for believing in me, guiding me, and supporting me in so many ways. In 2019, I stated that I wanted to create a support system of people who are truly invested in my well-being, and I really feel that I have that with you. Thank you.
And to my father, thank you for being my baba, for loving me so dearly, and for continuing to raise me still.
Be water, my friends.