The Kobe Effect

The news of his death rocked our world. 

How could someone who seemed to have it all be gone so soon along with so many others? It didn’t matter if you were a fan of Kobe’s as an athlete or a businessman. He lived life to the fullest on and off the court. He was the ultimate team player and that’s what made an impression on all of us.

When we learned that his daughter Gigi was with him along with 7 others it brought unbelievable sadness to the pit of our stomachs. Our hearts felt heavy as we thought about Gigi and her friends on the helicopter with their parents, the coaches and the pilot. The world began grieving for them and all the families left behind. The news spread like wildfire because it was so unbelievable. He was a good guy. The ultimate family man. He was full of talent and promise. So were the other passengers. They had so much left to give. How could this happen?

I couldn’t stop thinking about the kids, spouses, parents, siblings, friends, and family who were taken and those left behind. How will they survive? How do they wake up every day and keep going? How do they make sense of this? The loss felt unbearable.

This was a wake-up call for the world. It got us all thinking about our own mortality. It was a reminder that we all need to live in the moment and make sure we’re telling those we love how much we love them. We need to hug our kids every day. Call our parents more often. Visit those relatives we’ve been meaning to see (before it’s too late.) Call a friend to catch up. Have lunch with a friend or co-worker. And take that trip we’ve been meaning to go on.

The sudden death of everyone on the helicopter reminded us to live and love.

Because that’s what Kobe and all those passengers would want. They wouldn’t want us to stand still and be afraid to live. They would want us to go out and live life to the fullest.

To be active. To be connected. To be present. And to make the world a better place.

That’s what I’m going to do in their memory.