A Legend’s Death Offers a Lesson on The Value of Life

There will be much said and written about Kobe Bryant over these next few days and even weeks so what words could I possibly offer about someone I did not know or never met?

Clearly he was a great basketball player, an iconic athlete who was among the best ever to play the game.  By all accounts he was a loving husband and father to his four daughters, one of whom was also killed in a horrific helicopter crash near Los Angeles that claimed a total of 9 lives and sent the sports world into shock on Sunday.

What I can say is that this is just another example of how precious life truly is and why we cannot take any day for granted.  Kobe and his 13-year old daughter Gianna were on their way to a basketball game, a game in which he was the coach and she was the player.  We can only imagine that they were talking strategy about the game and maybe how they would spend the rest of the day.

However in just a matter of seconds that conversation came to an abrupt halt as the helicopter lost control and began plummeting to the ground.  What must have gone through their minds in those final moments?  It gives me the shakes just to think about it.

Every morning there are hundreds of people who wake up with much on their mind…the one thing they are not thinking about is that it will be their final day.  Yet each day for a variety of reasons fate claims lives and while most don’t impact us occasionally it just hits us like a ton of bricks.  Such was the news Sunday when a 41-year old man so full of life and his 13-year old daughter with so much to look forward to had their lives end in a matter of moments.

We mourn and pray for them as well as the 7 others and we are reminded once again that life does not come with a guarantee of longevity.  Enjoy right now because that is the only thing we can be sure of.