Last Sunday morning  I was working on my computer and saw an email come in from my local neighborhood app that asked if Kobe Bryant had died. I was thinking: “No, it can’t be true. He is so young!” So, I asked my husband if he had heard anything. He said no. We both began searching Facebook to see if there was anything from any local news sources and/or friends. I saw a post that there was a helicopter crash in Calabasas. I shared this post to determine if anyone else had heard anything. I also turned on the TV. When I found out it was true, I was so sad. I couldn’t believe it! I was in complete shock! I’m still in shock! At first, there were reports that there were five people on the helicopter including Kobe. As the day progressed, we found out that there were nine people (daughters, moms, dads, and a pilot) on the helicopter.

So, do you ever wonder why good people are taken when they are young? I was trying to make sense of this tragedy. All I could think of was that this tragedy has brought people together. I believe Kobe’s purpose was (is) to inspire people to be the best they can be and it takes hard work to achieve your goals.

Yes, Kobe was a basketball legend and people think of him as just that. But if you look beyond his basketball days with the LA Lakers, you will realize he is a lot more than that. He reminds me of another Laker great, Magic Johnson! Both had similarities: family men, businessmen, philantropists, etc. Wow! I can’t believe I’m referring to Kobe in the past tense!

Basketball was used as a vehicle so more good works could be done.

I had recently seen Kobe on The Kelly Clarkson Show and The Talk. If you saw him on either show, you will realize that he is more than just basketball. Yes, basketball was his passion. But he used what he learned from playing basketball to help others.  I recently read on Alex Rodriguez’s Instagram page that Kobe coached him during his most difficult days in baseball as a NY Yankee. Adults and children looked up to him as their mentor/hero.  This is a good thing…he was a good role model.

It is great that he created a place that kids could play basketball. We need this because most schools have gotten rid of after school programs due to budget cuts. If a child wants to play an after school sport, their parents would have to pay for the sports program. Kobe gave children moral support and helped them feel good about themselves so ultimately they can go into the world having the self confidence that they could do whatever they set their mind on.

I feel for the victims’ families of this tragic accident – Kobe’s wife, Vanessa and their daughters; John Altobelli’s family, Sarah and Payton Chester’s family, Christina Mauser’s husband and three children, and Ara Zobayan’s family. I can’t begin to imagine what they are going through.

In conclusion, we need to appreciate the time we have with our families and make the most of it. Remember this: the past is in the past, the future isn’t guaranteed, and the present is a just that, a present.

Love and light,

Shaline