The NBA legend had commissioned an artist to draw Vanessa with an angel holding her up, she said. It gave her something to look forward to on her birthday.
Weeks after celebrating her 19th wedding anniversary all alone, Vanessa Bryant was confronted with the thought of spending her 38th birthday without the love of her life, Kobe Bryant. The NBA legend lost his life on January 26, 2020, along with his daughter Gianna "Gigi" Maria-Onore Bryant in a helicopter crash.
Vanessa has been forced to cope with her grief and stay strong for the sake of her three daughters, Natalia Diamante Bryant, 17, Bianka Bella Bryant, 3, and Capri Kobe Bryant, 10 months. The mother-of-three came face-to-face with some special moments in her family's life recently and took them on without breaking down. First, she had to go through her 19th wedding anniversary, which was on April 18, without Kobe. Then, it was her Gigi's birth anniversary on May 1. She would have turned 14 in 2020.
In a special post, she said, "Happy 14th Birthday to my sweet baby girl, Gianna. Mommy loves you more than I can ever show you. You are part of MY SOUL forever. I miss you so much everyday. I wish I could wake up and have you here with me. I miss your smile, your hugs and your giggles. I miss EVERYTHING about YOU, Gigi. I LOVE YOU so much!!!!!!!"
And then, before she knew it it was her own birthday on May 5. While she thought she would have to go on with the day without her "King" by her side, it turned out differently. She found a card that Kobe had written to her when he was alive, which she shared on Instagram.
"Yesterday I found an envelope labeled To: The Love of my Life. From, Tu Papi I waited to open one more letter on my birthday. It gave me something to look forward to today.❤️The irony is that Kobe had a photo of me drawn with an Angel holding me up by an artist on the cover. Missing the Love of my Life and my sweet little Mamacita- my fellow Taurus. Grateful to wake up to my 3 sweet girls today. Wish we were all together," she said. Her caption was posted along with a photo of her holding an envelope.
Even though she didn't reveal the contents of the letter which she may have found to be bittersweet, it sure would have made her feel loved. This special gift is something she is likely to remember for the rest of her life.
Her followers also sent her loving messages and asked her to keep strong. Reality TV personality Khloe Kardashian said, "Happy birthday V! This is beautiful! You deserve this so much! I pray you know how loved you are today and everyday! This is a sign he’s with you. I’m praying for you always! I love you." Another TV personality, Lala, said, "That’s beautiful V. Today is your day. We celebrate you. We love you. We got your back forever. Happy happy birthday."
Actress Jennifer Garner also wrote to Vanessa saying, "Happy birthday, Vanessa, and all of the love in the world to you and yours." Blogger Julie Sarinana said, "Happy Birthday you beautiful soul! May Kobe & Gigi always be with you and your 3 girls! They are singing Happy Birthday to you from heaven! Sending you so much love!" Another TV personality Tia Mowry added, "Wow! Happy Birthday! Sending you love."
Meanwhile, Vanessa's daughters gave her a special day on her birthday, which coincides with Cinco de Mayo, by ordering flowers and pinatas. "#CincodeMayo #TacoTuesday #micumpleaños Thx to my girls for ordering these flowers and piñatas for mama," posted Vanessa along with a photo of herself with her girls.
Prior to that, she shared a photo of her youngest one dressed in Gigi's old clothes. Capri looked adorable in pink in the photo that was captioned, "Capri looks just her daddy (in Gigi’s outfit)!"
The mom has showered her little girls with love throughout the process and shares photos of their days together. As the Bryant matriarch, it's now on her to keep the legacy of her husband alive and she does that beautifully.
References:
https://www.instagram.com/p/B_psEN4jWPc/
https://www.instagram.com/p/B_0AJnUj3FM/
