Kevin Hayes's Instagram Tribute To His Brother Jimmy Is Heart-Breaking

Yesterday I lost my best friend, my brother. My whole life it has always been Jimmy and Kevin or the Hayes brothers. I have followed you around since I can remember and I wouldn’t want it any other way. Whether it was youth hockey, Nobles, Boston College or the NHL, you paved the way for me. You taught me everything I needed to know in order to succeed. You lit up every single room you walked into with your smile and positive attitude. Everyone wanted to be around Jim, the big, goofy, horrible dancer, funny, genuine and kindest person around. I will never forget the times we shared or the memories we made and know that I will try my hardest to have your legacy live on. Our world lost someone special and I don’t know if I will ever be the same but till we meet again, I LOVE YOU JIM!--Kevin Hayes

I read this and got a knot in my stomach. A tightness in my chest. I can't even imagine what Kevin and the rest of the Hayes family are going through, but I saw this post today and I called my brother. I think that is the important take away here. Don't take your relationships for granted. Be active in them. Appreciate your family members that have grown to become your best friend. You can clearly tell that Jimmy and Kevin were best friends. You can tell how much Jimmy was loved by everyone he came across. We've seen an outpouring of praise and love from Rockford to Chicago and beyond. Nobody is talking about Jimmy the player. Everything is about the person he was. Just a kind, funny, and genuine person. A personality with a gravitational pull. Kevin knows he hit the brother lottery. I can't even begin to imagine his pain. I hope the entire hockey community can wrap their arms around him because he's a real one too.