Five Families

I am a huge basketball fan. MFFL to be exact. That is a Dallas Mavericks Fan for Life to those who are not basketball fans. 🏀🏀 😉

I was watching the Lakers play the Trailblazers last Friday and it was the first game for the Lakers since the tragic helicopter crash. There was a nice tribute to Kobe and acknowledgment of all 9 on board.

I have watched Kobe play the Mavericks many times as well as other teams. Kobe was a great player. Many young athletes looked up to him. Many NBA players looked up to him. Kobe was a mentor and most likely will remain one for years to come.

I have no doubt he was an amazing father and coach with his daughter’s basketball team. My heart goes out to Vanessa and her 3 girls who have lost a husband, father, daughter and sister. They have a long road ahead.

It has been a week since this horrible tragedy. As I’ve watched basketball and social media during this week the focus seems to have been on Kobe and his daughter.

I have observed the world lose an icon and someone they thought would never perish. We all know this to be a fallacy because we are not superhuman and we will not live forever. Icons are man-made and when we view humans as larger than life their demise is most often difficult to understand. In this case, a tragic accident occurred which makes it even more difficult. We are here for such a short time and for many even shorter.

I want the world to remember and not lose sight of the fact that five families were impacted in the blink of an eye. Five. Five families will never be the same again. Five families have been traumatized and grief stricken. Five families will have to learn a new path of life for the one they were traveling has been fragmented.

Five families, not “Kobe Bryant, his daughter Gianna and 7 others”.

John, Keri and daughter Alyssa Altobelli

Kobe and his daughter Gianna Bryant

Sarah and daughter Payton Chester

Christina Mauser

Ara Zobayan

Please take time to read about their stories and the amazing, unique people they were. They matter.

This is one way mental illness is born. Trauma. Depression. Anxiety. PTSD. Suicidal Ideations.

These families are going to need care, compassion and understanding as they wade through mourning and grief in the coming days, months and years.

When you think about and remember Kobe Bryant for the legend and mentor he is please remember all individuals who perished and the legends and mentors they are to their many loved ones as well.

Please be kind to one another and most importantly……….be kind to yourself.

~MH 💕