What If...(RIP Kobe and Gigi)
I am, like the rest of the world, just completely heartbroken and shattered by the tragic loss of life suffered by the helicopter crash on Sunday morning. The loss of these precious lives--those known by the public and those unknown to most of us--is just too much. As a fan of the sport of basketball--and a fan of Kobe Bryant--I am shocked and devastated by the loss of a legend and an amazing influencer and giver to the world. The lives he has touched in and out of the game are too many to count.
As a parent, I am shook beyond measure at the thought of what this father must have experienced looking at his baby girl and knowing their lives were about to be over. I cannot begin to imagine the fear or the devastation he must have felt in those moments. The need to protect her from what he couldn't even protect himself from was most likely overpowering. The knowing that he would never see his wife or other three girls again...none us can know what that was like. The knowledge that he was about to meet his God was probably more than he himself could grasp.
It's too overwhelming to process and the floodgates of tears and emotions try to destroy me when I attempt to. And then there is Vanessa. A wife and a mother. her entire world will never be the same again. In the blink of an eye the most unexpected has happened and her lover, her partner, her other half, her best friend is gone. Her baby. A life she grew inside of her. A life she has nurtured and cherished for more than thirteen years is gone. Just...gone.
And there are no words for either of those kinds of losses. There are no platitudes. There is no amount of comfort any person can offer to make that alright. Gone. Doing something that was completely normal and everyday to their family. They used helicopters to get around LA traffic and to attend school functions and games like we use our cars. For her, they were driving to a basketball game. Just like so many times my husband and son have driven back and forth from games and practices.
There it is!
There are people all over the internet wanting to know why so many of us are mourning, why is this hitting us so hard? Why are we so affected? It affects us on a human level. It isn't just because he was a celebrity. A basketball legend. It was because he was human. A father. A son. A brother. A husband. A friend. A coach. A teammate. Putting status aside, he was someone we all can relate to. He didn't work a job that him in the line of danger. He and his family were just doing what they do. Going to a freaking Sunday afternoon basketball game for his kid. And in an instant a normal commute took a turn for the worst and now nine people are dead and those around them forever changed.
That's personal to us. Whether you are a fan of Kobe or not. A fan of the game or not. We all have someone we love and would be devastated if we lost. People are affected because we are reminded that no one is exempt. Not one of us is exempted from tragedy. From accidents. From death. From loss. Money, fame, power, status. It means nothing. Any of us can lose or be lost in an instant. That's why we feel so touched by this. That is the impact the whole world--not just the basketball world--is feeling.
Personally, I can't count how many games or practices we have together or individually driven back and forth from. Or will. My son is the same age as Gigi. Loves the game. So we do whatever we can to support his love and his ambition. Just parents being parents. Kobe, just being a dad and coach heading to a game. Carpooling. if you will, with other parents and coaches.
Some people freak out over the thought of flying on an aircraft of any kind. Other find it exciting. For many, flying is a big deal. For our family, it's a way of life. My husband flies for United Express and he practically lives on airplanes. He commutes to and from work in Chicago on a plane. His days consist of working on 2-5 planes a day on average. Most days we think nothing of it. It is commonplace for us. "Door Closed. Gotta Fly. I Love You."
This tragedy has made me stop and wonder, "what if..." and I can't allow myself to go beyond those two words. Because after them is a peak into the abyss that I know Vanessa Bryant is living in right now. "What if" is more than I can bear to comprehend. "What if" is what has happened to this wife and mom. "What if" is what could happen to me. To you. To anyone we love, know, meet, or work with. "What if" is around every corner every single day of our lives.
"What if" is always a possibility and lurks around us in a myriad of ways. It is a possibility that we forget as we get caught up in everyday life. Which is good. It is good to live and enjoy and keep pushing forward and fulfilling our destinies without fear of "what if". Just as those nine people were doing Sunday morning. We should focus on living and not on the "what ifs". we can't allow ourselves to stop living because of fear of "what if". We do ourselves and the world an injustices by holding back our light and our gifts.
But moments like this...when "what if" happens to someone we know or someone we admire...it is a resounding reminder to STOP. Stop the busyness. Stop the chaos. Just stop. Slow down and pick up the phone to tell someone you love them. Check in on family. Stop and kiss and hold your kids. Tell them how proud of them you and build them up. Give them time and attention. Stop and remind your spouse how much you adore them. How you can't imagine living life without them by your side. How precious they are to you. Stop and be grateful for all the blessings you are surrounded with...including being alive today. Stop and thank God for all He has given you.
Stop and ask yourself if "What if" happened to me tomorrow would that be it? What would be next? Have that conversation with Jesus! Because we never know when "what if" could happen to us. Kobe didn't get up that morning thinking it would be his last. Most people don't. Handle those unresolved disputes. Forgive. Let go. Show love. Live every moment like "what if" could happen at any moment--because it can!
I know that if "what if" ever happens to me, I don't want my family or my friends to ever doubt my love for them. I want people to say I lived life to the fullest. I never held back in fear. I was kind. I was generous. I was brave. I was loving. I was honest. I want those around me to see that I am so in love with Jesus that there can be no doubt that is where I would be--right next to Him--if a "what if" took me from this planet.
I grieve for Vanessa, the other Bryant girls, and every person personally impacted by this loss of life. I pray for the Holy Spirit to comfort and grant peace to each affected individual--far and wide and myself included. And I pray that those impacted will take the time to ask "what if" and take the steps toward Christ that will guarantee their tomorrow past this world. As we grieve together, let's remember it the loss of the person and the reality that it can be any of us that touches us so deeply. So stop arguing and pointing fingers and belittling your neighbor's grief. Instead comfort and uplift each other. Be compassionate.
As a parent, I am shook beyond measure at the thought of what this father must have experienced looking at his baby girl and knowing their lives were about to be over. I cannot begin to imagine the fear or the devastation he must have felt in those moments. The need to protect her from what he couldn't even protect himself from was most likely overpowering. The knowing that he would never see his wife or other three girls again...none us can know what that was like. The knowledge that he was about to meet his God was probably more than he himself could grasp.
It's too overwhelming to process and the floodgates of tears and emotions try to destroy me when I attempt to. And then there is Vanessa. A wife and a mother. her entire world will never be the same again. In the blink of an eye the most unexpected has happened and her lover, her partner, her other half, her best friend is gone. Her baby. A life she grew inside of her. A life she has nurtured and cherished for more than thirteen years is gone. Just...gone.
And there are no words for either of those kinds of losses. There are no platitudes. There is no amount of comfort any person can offer to make that alright. Gone. Doing something that was completely normal and everyday to their family. They used helicopters to get around LA traffic and to attend school functions and games like we use our cars. For her, they were driving to a basketball game. Just like so many times my husband and son have driven back and forth from games and practices.
There it is!
There are people all over the internet wanting to know why so many of us are mourning, why is this hitting us so hard? Why are we so affected? It affects us on a human level. It isn't just because he was a celebrity. A basketball legend. It was because he was human. A father. A son. A brother. A husband. A friend. A coach. A teammate. Putting status aside, he was someone we all can relate to. He didn't work a job that him in the line of danger. He and his family were just doing what they do. Going to a freaking Sunday afternoon basketball game for his kid. And in an instant a normal commute took a turn for the worst and now nine people are dead and those around them forever changed.
That's personal to us. Whether you are a fan of Kobe or not. A fan of the game or not. We all have someone we love and would be devastated if we lost. People are affected because we are reminded that no one is exempt. Not one of us is exempted from tragedy. From accidents. From death. From loss. Money, fame, power, status. It means nothing. Any of us can lose or be lost in an instant. That's why we feel so touched by this. That is the impact the whole world--not just the basketball world--is feeling.
Personally, I can't count how many games or practices we have together or individually driven back and forth from. Or will. My son is the same age as Gigi. Loves the game. So we do whatever we can to support his love and his ambition. Just parents being parents. Kobe, just being a dad and coach heading to a game. Carpooling. if you will, with other parents and coaches.
Some people freak out over the thought of flying on an aircraft of any kind. Other find it exciting. For many, flying is a big deal. For our family, it's a way of life. My husband flies for United Express and he practically lives on airplanes. He commutes to and from work in Chicago on a plane. His days consist of working on 2-5 planes a day on average. Most days we think nothing of it. It is commonplace for us. "Door Closed. Gotta Fly. I Love You."
This tragedy has made me stop and wonder, "what if..." and I can't allow myself to go beyond those two words. Because after them is a peak into the abyss that I know Vanessa Bryant is living in right now. "What if" is more than I can bear to comprehend. "What if" is what has happened to this wife and mom. "What if" is what could happen to me. To you. To anyone we love, know, meet, or work with. "What if" is around every corner every single day of our lives.
"What if" is always a possibility and lurks around us in a myriad of ways. It is a possibility that we forget as we get caught up in everyday life. Which is good. It is good to live and enjoy and keep pushing forward and fulfilling our destinies without fear of "what if". Just as those nine people were doing Sunday morning. We should focus on living and not on the "what ifs". we can't allow ourselves to stop living because of fear of "what if". We do ourselves and the world an injustices by holding back our light and our gifts.
But moments like this...when "what if" happens to someone we know or someone we admire...it is a resounding reminder to STOP. Stop the busyness. Stop the chaos. Just stop. Slow down and pick up the phone to tell someone you love them. Check in on family. Stop and kiss and hold your kids. Tell them how proud of them you and build them up. Give them time and attention. Stop and remind your spouse how much you adore them. How you can't imagine living life without them by your side. How precious they are to you. Stop and be grateful for all the blessings you are surrounded with...including being alive today. Stop and thank God for all He has given you.
Stop and ask yourself if "What if" happened to me tomorrow would that be it? What would be next? Have that conversation with Jesus! Because we never know when "what if" could happen to us. Kobe didn't get up that morning thinking it would be his last. Most people don't. Handle those unresolved disputes. Forgive. Let go. Show love. Live every moment like "what if" could happen at any moment--because it can!
I know that if "what if" ever happens to me, I don't want my family or my friends to ever doubt my love for them. I want people to say I lived life to the fullest. I never held back in fear. I was kind. I was generous. I was brave. I was loving. I was honest. I want those around me to see that I am so in love with Jesus that there can be no doubt that is where I would be--right next to Him--if a "what if" took me from this planet.
I grieve for Vanessa, the other Bryant girls, and every person personally impacted by this loss of life. I pray for the Holy Spirit to comfort and grant peace to each affected individual--far and wide and myself included. And I pray that those impacted will take the time to ask "what if" and take the steps toward Christ that will guarantee their tomorrow past this world. As we grieve together, let's remember it the loss of the person and the reality that it can be any of us that touches us so deeply. So stop arguing and pointing fingers and belittling your neighbor's grief. Instead comfort and uplift each other. Be compassionate.
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