Kobe... Reflection our own mortality and life's fragility.

Kobe Bryant and daughter Gianna Bryant.

It was on a Sunday and I was meal prepping for the week. I had a seasoned salmon in the oven, the boiled vegetables draining in the sink and I was pouring out the quinoa in my three containers. I received a text on my phone “Did you hear about Kobe?” I replied, “what?”. But as an impatient millennial I didn’t want to wait for the reply, instead I went to IG’s Shaderoom and the first post was “Kobe Bryant Died in Helicopter crash”, my heart fell to the floor in shock. It was like a weird dream and that I thought I was going to wake up from, but no.

An hour later it was revealed that his 13 year old daughter, Gianni was in the helicopter as well along with 7 other victims. I instantly became sick to my stomach. This dream was not a dream at all, it was all too real and incredibly tragic and devastating. Weeks prior there was a viral video of Kobe and Gianna court side at an NBA game where you can tell he’s coaching her on the game and she intelligently takes in his advice. Just knowing they were both in that helicopter during their last moment is just so sad.

I know of Kobe Bryant as a driven and ambitious basketball player and a leader. He was known for his work ethic and coined his philosophy as the “Mamba Mentality”. In his retirement his work ethic carried on as a coach for his Mamba Sports Academy Basketball team that Gianna played for as well. When that viral video came out I instantly believed that Kobe would be a coach or an investor in a WNBA team years down the line. Him being a #GirlDad to his 4 daughters, would be highly influential in the needed support for the WNBA organization and shine the spotlight on women’s basketball overall.

I don’t need to list all of Kobe's achievements as a player, there’s google for that. Doc River said hours after the news broke, “He had that DNA that very few athletes can ever have.” That DNA was palpable when you saw him play and that same DNA is what many fans and players respected him for.

Grief is a life experience that hits people differently. Kobe Bryant's sudden death still doesn’t feel real and it makes us all think about our own life and how in an instant it can change. The world shifted on January 26, to not only reflect on Kobe's life as a Basketball player and father but our own. What are you doing to make an impact in someone’s life and more important your own life? Some of us go through life just moving without any intention just to pass the time.

We are now in the second month of 2020. I would like for you to take a precedent in your daily routine be it spending time with your family, going to the gym or craving out time in your day to tap into your own wellbeing. As this tragedy taught us, don’t take life for granted. We should strive to be and get better everyday. #MambaMentality

"Do epic things, daily." - Kobe Bryant