A few weeks ago, I posted a blog titled #girldad. I was hesitant in posting it because it’s a bit personal, but I went ahead and posted it anyway. I felt that if I didn’t post how I truly felt that I was being inauthentic for this blog.
I kept this blog post quiet until I read it in front of my class last Tuesday. I received such great feedback and I was surprised. I decided to post the story on social media and send it to many close friends and family. Once again, I was shocked at the response I received.
So many people have responded with personal stories of how they dealt with Kobe’s death, how my story impacted them or how they resonated with my story. I received messages from people I have only spoken to a few times and they gave me such words of encouragement. I have even had people tell me how I impacted their lives personally.
Here is an example of one of those messages:
“I read it, and it was amazing. You are someone I truly admire Alyssa. Your work ethic is unmatchable and you go through life struggles with such grace. You wrote that you hope to help others in similar situations one day and although our life/career situations are different, just know you have already helped and have made a difference in someone’s life. You have helped me by simply giving me advice or by just listening to me and my college rants where I doubt myself and my capabilities. You encourage me and no matter what I do end up doing in the future I hope to grow to be just as strong and capable as you are. It was a beautiful post!”- M.U.
I was honestly shocked that I had impacted this person’s life in this way. I personally have grown up as a lone wolf. I am usually focused on myself, my family and my career. I tend to try to talk to everyone I meet and learn as much as I can about them, but I usually never get very close with them. I truly enjoy hearing everyones stories and struggles they’ve been through. Everyone has a story to tell, and I think when we learn about each others stories it makes us connect on a deeper level. We are able to understand each other better because we know where they came from.
I didn’t realize that such a small interaction with a coworker about school could be so meaningful. Learning that has made me re-evaluate every interaction I have with someone and how I could leave an impact on them whether it be positive or negative.
A few other people responded sharing personal stories about how Kobe impacted their lives:
“That hashtag gets to me so much every time I see it. It’s crazy the impact he had on a global level. Kobe was a huge inspiration for me. He was seriously my life, I loved him.” -M.M.
“Kobe was a big thing for my family, they are part of the basketball community because of my little brother, and they all knew [Kobe] was a committed dad. My dad was devastated. He was a huge fan of Kobe and my little brother looked up to him. When my dad heard that the daughter was in the crash he was shocked and turned white as a ghost. I was shocked to see my dads reaction. I didn’t know it was so deep. It’s like you learn something about yourself or others.” -C.B.
Alyssa Freyder 