I am writing this blog post late Tuesday night, January 28, 2020. There’s less than half an hour remaining in the day. Tomorrow, it’ll mark 72 hours since the sudden and tragic death of NBA legend, Kobe Bryant, former shooting guard for the Los Angeles Lakers. As I’m sure you already know by now, Bryant perished in a helicopter crash along with his 13-year-old daughter Gianna, and seven other people. He was only 41 years old.
This tragedy has been the center of attention for much of these past few days and understandably so. The magnitude and recognition of Bryant is almost unattainable by so many other global icons around the world. His death will be discussed for much of this year and for years ahead. It’s on the same level of coverage of Michael Jackson’s death and the OJ Simpson case.
The whole thing is incredibly sad and I feel so terrible for the families who lost their loved ones in this accident. But I am writing this blog post for a specific reason. A couple of years ago, when I was a junior in college, I wrote an article for our school newspaper about the death of former Major League Baseball pitcher, Roy Halladay, who died in a plane crash on November 7, 2017. Although he wasn’t as big a name in the sports world as Kobe was, his passing left an impact on me and made me realize that no matter how much fame, adulation or experiences one has had in his or her lifetime, at the end of the day, we’re all in the same position of being subjected to the frailties of life.
Life is unfair, that’s the bottom line. It’s unfortunate and harsh, but it’s the truth. Nobody is guaranteed tomorrow and I feel people should recognize that a bit more. Although the death of Kobe was stunning, it’s not a totally, incomprehensible reality. Yes, I get that it is incomprehensible for people to accept. Hell, it’s still incomprehensible for me to accept. Kobe was bigger than life. You mention his name, about 95% of people would know who he is off the top of their head, even if they don’t follow basketball closely. But what I am trying to say in regards to his death not being an incomprehensible reality, is that events such as these occur in life, and they can happen to ANYONE.
We may not think like that, because I feel that we often look up to celebrities, athletes or noteworthy figures with praise and respect for how they’ve constructed their lives. And for that reason, I think we tend to think that they’re untouchable at times. But that’s just simply not the case. They are people too just like you and me, and they have their rough days and moments just like anyone else. And they’re not indestructible from life. This all might sound like something you’ve heard time and time again and you may not want to hear it anymore but it’s the truth and you need to recognize that life is a privilege and not a guarantee.
We really need to start living in the moment a lot more and holding each other closer and tighter because you might never know if an encounter you may have with someone you love dearly, might be the last one you’ll ever have with them. It’s a terrifying thought but it’s what reality boils down to. Don’t ever take a day in your life for granted. Something bad can happen at any moment. It could strike down as fast as lightning and change everything in your life from that point on.
With all of this being said, you cannot ever give up on life. When you lose someone near and dear to your heart, you need to try your best and stay strong and move forward. It’s increasingly unwell for your mind and physical health to be dwelling on the hardships too often. I’m not saying you need to completely get over a personal loss because I know that some of those personal pieces have a special place in your heart that is irreplaceable. You need to hang on to those pieces because they’re a big part of your life. However, you cannot rely so much on them to propel you through where you are currently.
Nothing ever lasts forever, physically that is. The person’s spirit and legacy will always live on forever and that’s what’s most important. I know this was an emotional reading for you but I feel that this is an important life lesson that I learned, and I feel you should learn to. It’s totally normal to feel sad when something or someone you love is gone. But always be grateful for the time and memories you had with them. It’s better to have experienced love and affection than none at all. It makes you a stronger-minded individual and opens you up to new things along the way.
The World is Yours 