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Now, before I go any further with this and to keep the feminist crowd at bay, I don’t believe Kobe is a rapist, sexual assaulter, etcetera and so forth. I didn’t believe it back in 2004 and I damn sure don’t believe it in 2020. That being said, if those are your beliefs, you probably want to stop here.
I’m going to keep it one hundred, I’m a bit numb and still in disbelief.
I’m not going to pretend I was the biggest Kobe fan, but I was a fan of his. I’m a diehard Lakers fan. We took our maternity photos in Lakers gear. We would put on our jerseys to watch them play. One of Bear’s first photos was him in a Lakers bib.
I’ve been a fan of the Lakers all of my life, but I really became a fan of theirs during the disastrous 2005-06 season. And I don’t know why. I think I’ve always rooted for the underdog.
I remember when Kobe decided he was going to skip college and go straight to the NBA. I remember his first championship and his very last. I’ve watched him numerous times on TV and was blessed to see him live in-person one time with Maks.
So, when the news of his death hit…well, I was stunned and honestly, not sure if the Kobe Bryant the news reported was the same one we all knew (funny how the mind works when it doesn’t want to accept shocking news).
But the other reasons that impacted Kobe’s death on me are hard: We’re both in our early 40s. We’re both devoted parents. We’re both married.
It hits a little different when you look at it in that perspective. Kobe and his beautiful daughter, Gigi, were super tight. She shared his love of basketball and it was clear to everyone she was his heir apparent. Even looking at Kobe’s IG page, it was Gigi who was featured most often.
Vanessa Bryant not only has to mourn her daughter and husband, but she also has to raise her remaining girls; one being an infant. That’s a tough burden on anyone and I don’t envy her position at all.
I’m not going to make assumptions about the flight. We don’t know why they had to travel in heavy fog. We don’t know why they all couldn’t just drive their cars. And honestly, I’m not sure if any of that really matters right now.
Nine lives were taken for inexplicable reasons. Parents lost their children. Children lost their parents. Spouses lost their significant others. Entire families were gone in an instant.
It reminds me that life is too short and too precious. Maybe we all need to slow down and not take things for granted.
Bear is always with me. I say about 90% of the time someone sees me, they see Bear. It’s always been like that. I’m a working at-home mom, so if I need to do a grocery run or other errands, Bear is naturally with me. He likes going to different places. He even helped me pick out an outfit at Torrid one time.
Despite how nonsensical our adventures are, there are maybe a couple times I can think, ‘Wow, that was a close call.’ Several times, cars didn’t see us as we used the crosswalk; two cars were dangerously close to hitting us. One other time, we could’ve been struck by a bus. Yes, a damn bus.
There have been times where we’ve decided to take a different route, leave at a different time, and that sixth sense worked to our benefit. We’ve avoided crashes, awful events, other bad things I didn’t think Bear should’ve been exposed to.
And I’m not going to lie. There have been times where I’ve been annoyed with Bear. I’ve thought, ‘Man, I could be doing something else instead of this!’ ‘I’m taking time out of my schedule when I could be working on my project!’ And every parent has those feelings.
And it can all be gone in an instant.
It’ll be a long time before people come to terms with Kobe’s and Gigi’s deaths. Nine people lost their lives that day and way too soon. You honestly never know when it’ll be your time. Tomorrow is not promised to anyone.
Do that project. Clear that stuff. Make amends over silly things. Hug your loved ones tight. Live life as if you’re going to die at any moment. Be silly. Laugh at stupid things. Plan as much as you can but remember the universe and God have the final say.
And enjoy yourself. We never know when it’s our time so we need to make the most out of it.
