Bruce Lee's Daughter Shannon Pens Emotional Essay on 50th Anniversary of Death: 'I Love You' (Exclusive)

For Shannon Lee, 2023 is a year of incredibly emotional anniversaries. 

Fifty years ago, action movie juggernaut Bruce Lee died on July 20, 1973, at the age of 32. Starring in films like Fist of Fury and The Big Boss, Lee became the face of martial-arts cinema, ultimately defining the genre. 

Bruce had two kids, Brandon and Shannon, with his wife Linda Emery before his untimely death. Brandon followed his father into the industry, working on cult classics like Showdown in Little Tokyo.

Twenty years after Bruce's death, Brandon was killed on the set of The Crow in March 1993 after being shot by a costar with what they believed to be a blank, but was actually a real bullet.

Now, 50 and 30 years after the respective deaths of her father and brother, Shannon remains deeply affected by loving and losing them both so early.

Just 4 years old when her dad died from a cerebral edema, Shannon is now an actress, producer and board chairwoman for the Bruce Lee Foundation. She's also an executive producer of Warrior, a Cinemax series based on the writings of her father that debuted in 2019.

In this week's issue of PEOPLE, Shannon, 54, writes a personal essay detailing her grief and loving memories of her Bruce and Brandon:

"Baba, Bran, there is nothing I could tell you that you don’t already know. But as I am often reminded, the telling isn’t for anyone other than myself. So 30 and 50 years later, what do I need to give voice to so much so that otherwise my soul might not be quite as free?

I guess I would tell of the gratitude I have for teaching me what true bravery is — the courage to be yourself, to admit your mistakes and grow, to share your soul with the world, to pursue what you love, to fiercely protect those who need protection, to work hard, to strive for peace, to be ever optimistic, and to fully live.

You both lived so vibrantly, so boldly, so viscerally, so truly, and it is that life that you embodied and shared so beautifully that has given me the courage and the desire to not just live but to grow and blossom through the loss of you.

Thank you for teaching me that nothing is ever lost, just transformed. It took me a long time to understand and trust that we are connected just as strongly now through the energy that you shared with me and all you’ve touched. Your energy is eternal, and it still communicates. It still hits. It still loves. And I love you — your big laughter, your big smiles.

Thank you for showing me what it is to feel safe and loved. It’s all I’ve ever needed in this life. It’s everything."