Why so many of us mourn so deeply for Kobe Bryant?

Yesterday people from all over the world were shocked by the news. We all wanted this to be a fake story and wake up from what felt like a bad dream.

I felt devastated. I am not an athlete. I am not from LA. I only briefly met him at the end of a Laker’s game when my son was such a big fan of him as a young boy (as you see in the picture above in 2002). I did not know this guy yet I was so impacted by this tragedy.

I started asking why someone like me and so many fans from all around the world who have never known him in person would be so devastated, like we lost a relative. I was glued to the news in disbelief trying to capture all the pictures and stories they told about him yesterday. If I did not need to work, I would probably be doing the same today. I think that is part of the healing; that is why we want to be there at Staples, in LA, around his house or watch him over and over again on TV.

First of all, I personally have always been fascinated by people who use their gifts, follow their dreams and are driven to be the best version of themselves. I always read, listen to these stories. My YourBestLife business is all about making more people find their passion and purpose in life; so he has been amazing example of this for sure. I always following people like him and learning their stories.

When my son got interested in basketball and started watching Lakers games, Kobe was becoming a big shining star. As a family we always watched him with awe; not only for his amazing talent but also his determination to be the best and his undying passion for what he did. As we learned more about his life, his dream of playing for Lakers when he was a child and his work ethics we loved him more. We would always share when we heard what he did in his practices, the number of hours he plays basketball to get better, how he comes earlier than anyone to the games and his undying drive to get better and better in what he does. We spent 20 years watching him closely. We went all the way to Phoenix when a friend gave us fourth-row tickets to watch him. We got lucky to have after-the-game passes to get his signature. We will always cherish that special moment. We met a legend. He became an idol not only for my son, but for my husband and I too.

Probably that is what happened to many others here in the US and even in far away lands. That is why we mourn so deeply. He was such a great example of following one’s dream and working very hard with discipline to make it a reality. We all got inspired by him in our work no matter what we did. Young ones looked at him and said “if he can do it, may be I can too”.

He was such an inspiration. He knew when to quit playing basketball and did amazing things touching a lot of other lives since then. He was able to transform his life and used the same drive to only do the best.

He was an idol we all hold on to. That is why we felt so disappointed to be robbed of him and all the wonderful things he was going to do in the next 40-50-60 years of his life. We want people like him to be out there sharing their lives for years to come because we need people like him in this world to move and shake us all. We don't want them to die, we want them to live forever. We need their positive energy.

I cannot even go there and think of his wife and his daughters. They lost their rock and a precious child and a sister. That is why it is unbearable to believe what happened.

I always ask my clients what kind of legacy they want to leave behind. How they want to be remembered. Kobe left an amazing one to his family and all of us in his short life. He was a legend and he still will be, not only because of his unbelievable record as an athlete but also as an excellent example of human spirit.

It also reminded us how delicate life is and how it can be taken away from us all in any split second. All parents and spouses probably gave a bigger hug last night before they went to bed. What we do with our lives matters, how much time we spend with our loved ones matters, how much we express our love for one another matters, every moment matters.

Hope we never get to hear such a big tragedy again. Kobe and his daughter died in the name of their love for the game. I wish all the strength, the patience, the love to everyone who lost their loved ones in this very unfortunate accident. Their lives matter as much as Kobe’s too. We just knew him a lot better. We loved him for decades. I am sure they all made their marks in this short period of time too.

I will leave you with one of his quotes. Will miss him dearly as an amazing human being of our times.

"There's a choice that we have to make as people, as individuals. If you want to be great at something there is a choice you have to make. We can all be masters at our craft, but you have to make a choice. What I mean by that is, there are inherent sacrifices that come along with that — family time, hanging out with your friends, being a great friend. being a great son, nephew, whatever the case may be. There are sacrifices that come along with that."

Kobe Bryant