I Wasn’t Ready
1,754 Likes, 48 Comments - going with grace (@going_with_grace) on Instagram: "I am stunned. Reminders like this of our mortality come like a swift kick in the butt. He was..."
None of us were…
Most people don’t regard me as an athlete upon first glance, but that was one of my earliest identities and mindsets. I had a basketball in my hand from the time I was three. I learned to dribble with tennis balls and would wake up early to do drills with my father before school. Private coaches, tournaments, training camps. That was my life in reck leagues before playing for school and AAU (Amateur Athletic Union) teams.
Keila as point guard at Bard College (2010)
Kobe Bryant is synonymous with the sport of basketball. Male and female athletes, alike, were touched by his legacy — both on and off the court. I don’t have to tell you about the countless accomplishments he’s made. His fingerprint is everywhere, whether you played a sport or not or wore his name on the back of a Lakers jersey or not. A cultural icon, he influenced an entire generation of sports fans, forever changing how we regard professional athletes and ingest the game.
What strikes me is Kobe’s age. 41. Not nearly enough time to be on this earth and yet he accomplished all that he needed to in his allotted time. Imagine. Achieving as much as he did in his forty years. Imagine touching as many people as he did in his forty years. Not enough, especially for his family, yet just enough to cement a legacy. It reminds me that artists cannot wait to create. That daughters, friends, lovers, and parents cannot wait to say, “I love you.” That death will knock on our door at any time, regardless of age, economic status, gender, race, or any other worldly classification. Honor your life by living daily. We cannot wait.
Image from Yallknowwhat
To Kobe Bryant, Gianna Bryant, John Altobelli, Keri Altobelli, Alyssa Altobelli, Christina Mauser, Aro Zobayan, Sara Chester, and Payton Chester…we love you and we honor you by living. <3
