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Year Four, Day 243: Death

My nerves are still raw from yesterday.  I shed many tears, as I am sure many others did too. All over the world. Shortly after I heard about Kobe's death, I was on Facebook and noticed a Facebook friend of mine in Greece, a classical guitar teacher had expressed his shock and sorrow when he learned of Kobe's passing. We shared our sorrow together. At that point, he was not sure the news was true and had not yet heard about Kobe's daughter Gianna had also died.

It is so difficult to make sense of tragedies such as these.  People are born and people die daily. But a man like Kobe, who was successful, healthy, wealthy, attractive and loved by many, having his life cut short is unfathomable.  Combine that with losing his precious 13 year-old daughter, who obviously adored and idolized her father, and was following in his footsteps.

Big heartache. And there were others on the helicopter, we are coming to learn about.  There were nine people who perished: John Altobelli and his wife Keri Altobelli and their daughter Alyssa Altobelli; Sarah Chester, Payton Chester, Ara Zobayan, Christina Mauser, Kobe Bryant and Gianna Bryant.

May they rest in peace.

I read that Kobe was a devout Catholic. I envision the angels singing with joy when he and his daughter enter, hand in hand. I hope there is a basketball court in heaven.

It odd, I posted earlier on Sunday that I have decided to live each day as if the next day is my last. Here is my post:


"Lately I've put it in my mind to treat every person I see as if I were going to die the next day. One last smile, one last kind word, one last kind gesture.


This is how i would be remembered.


To me, it is a very positive mindset! (And helps me be nicer to everyone!)

Here are some quotes on found on living with death in mind:

"Live as if you were to die tomorrow. Learn as if you were to live forever."
~Mahatma Gandhi

"Be not overly wicked, neither be a fool. Why should you die before your time"
~Ecclesiastes 7:17 ESV

"A good name is better than precious ointment, and the day of death than the day of birth."
~Ecclesiastes 7:1

"It shouldn't take death to challenge you to live at your highest level. Why wait until everything is taken from you before you learn to dig down deep inside yourself to reach your highest potential? A wise person affirms, "If with one breath all of this can change, then I want to live at the highest level while I'm alive. I'm going to stop bothering the people I love. I'm going to live life from the deepest part of my being."
~Michael Singer, "The Untethered Soul"

Happy Sunday!

Love,

Zita"


I posted this from Starbucks, over my Venti coffee that I also down before my church gig.  A few hours later, my heart broke for the victims of the crash.

Today, I am mournful, not only for Kobe and Gianna, but for all of us survivors here on earth that have experienced loss of loved ones.  

Death touches us all.  It is one thing for me to proclaim that I am living with death in plain view, but the death of another is much more difficult.

I am still trying to find my happy, peaceful center.  Until the next tragedy strikes, at least. I see many people on social media suggesting that we let go of petty arguments, negative comments, prejudices, and judgment, since we never know how much time we have here on planet earth.

Good advice.  And it's something I need to constantly remind myself of. Especially since I have spent too much of my life feeling sorry for myself instead of being grateful for this life I have been given.  

I will leave you here.  May your Sunday be filled with peace, love and joy.

Talk to you soon!

Love,

Zita 






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