"Remember you have your life": Delta employee gives powerful speech to passengers hours after Kobe Bryant helicopter crash
On January 26, the world was shocked to learn about the tragic death of Kobe Bryant, his daughter and seven others. The unexpected deaths left many thinking about the fragility of life, and thankfulness for a simple blessing: getting home safely.
A Delta employee from Los Angeles sensed passengers on her upcoming flight Sunday were having those thoughts. So, she gave a powerful speech at the gate to ease their minds before takeoff.
"I do all the LA flights and this is the hardest day," the woman told a crowd of passengers at JFK International Airport just hours after Bryant's fatal helicopter crash.
"Today, it wasn't an easy day, but just know, we're here with you. And know that you have your life," the employee, identified as Courtney by a man who was there and took video of the powerful speech.
Hey @Delta , please hire more people like this Delta Rep whose contagious positivity make it more enjoyable to fly. pic.twitter.com/lI1NAWZKD2
— Arye Sufrin (@ASufrin) January 26, 2020
"So, if there's someone you haven't spoken to today, call them. If there's someone you haven't reached out to in a while, call them. Don't text. Texting, no, no, no," she continued. "You have to pick the phone up. And if someone lives nearby and you haven't seen them, reach out to them. Go to their house, knock on the door."
Courtney then praised Bryant as "the greatest of all time" and asked passengers to cheer for him. "Remember the spirit is still with us always. And remember, you have your life," she said.
She asked passengers to leave negativity behind when they boarded the plane. It wasn't a typical announcement from a airline employee, but it was one these passengers — many of them from Los Angeles — needed to hear.
The man who took video of Courtney's pep talk, Arye Sufrin, tweeted the video and tagged Delta: "Hey @Delta, please hire more people like this Delta Rep whose contagious positivity make it more enjoyable to fly."
The airline replied: "It's incredible what a few kind words can do. Just another reminder that the world could always use a little more positivity, and we're so glad you got it here."