Loss. How does one cope with it? Every individual handles adversity differently. To an extent, we’ve all experienced the pain of losing a loved one.

I haven’t had grandparents for a few years now but still have very vivid memories of what made them such an integral part of my life growing up. I can still see each looking down on me smiling showing off their wonderful human qualities. They always were there for myself and my younger brother.

Some of the best times we spent as kids were at my grandparents in Ocean Parkway in the BK. Whether it was going to the store for fresh fruit, hitting Brighton Beach, eating a home cooked meal or seeing a movie, it was always worthwhile. I particularly loved the playground shooting hoops on those baskets without rims. Schoolyard style. There always was something refreshing about playing b-ball across the street from Lincoln High where future stars like Stephon Marbury, Sebastian Telfair and Lance Stephenson would play.

Maybe it was something in the air. There are those moments where you can just feel it. That quite a few are spent with people we care about has an affect.

Life is great and should be enjoyed to the fullest cause one never knows when it’s up. Which brings me to death. The least understood and sad reality of life. It’s like all those times I chilled with my friend T. He concluded that as soon as we’re born, we’re dying. It sounds kind of crazy but in a way, he’s right.

That’s why you got to suck it all up and live in the moment. Death doesn’t play favorites. It can be very unfair but out of our control. My brother just found out last night that one of his closest friends lost their Mom. She was a really good person and not very old but had health issues including an aneurysm a few years back. Just overhearing the convo, I could tell it was the worst kind of news and felt extremely blank.

No longer did the Penguins coming back to defeat the Rangers mean very much. Sports are great but pales in comparison to this bone chilling topic. I was also close with his friend and knew their Mom as well as sister. I feel extremely bad about it and saddened for their loss. Making matters worse, she didn’t have life insurance and their father was a deadbeat. So, you can imagine where my sentiment is this very second.

It just doesn’t seem right. I feel fortunate to still have both my parents around. I couldn’t imagine losing either as their overwhelming support is what keeps me going.

I also can’t picture losing a loved one to a bloody murder created by irresponsible NYPD cops as in the Sean Bell case. As pretty much everyone knows by now, the 23 year-old Bell was killed on his wedding day on Nov.25, 2006 when three undercover officers fired 50 shots. The fiancee of Nicole Paultre Bell was out partying with close buddies Joseph Guzman and Trent Benefield. As the bachelor party concluded outside a night club in Jamaica, Queens, they were fired at by NYPD officers Michael Oliver, Gescard Isnora and Marc Cooper.

They were led to believe that Bell allegedly had a gun. Of course, nothing was ever discovered with even their claim of a fourth person near Bell’s Nissan Altima never turning up.

“Today was his wedding day - not his death day,” Bell’s Uncle Oniaja Shepherd told the New York papers Nov.26, 2006. “We were supposed to go to a wedding. Now we’re going to a funeral.”

What one ponders is how did New York’s finest get it so wrong and still fire 50 shots brutally murdering Bell and injuring Guzman? That 31 came from the gun of Oliver is even more puzzling. Isnora fired 11 while Cooper got off four.

It’s one thing if they were armed but that wasn’t the case which is why it’s so hard to fathom Supreme Court Justice Arthur Cooperman’s not guilty verdict rendered in a New York courtroom the other day.

To hear Bell’s widow of two tell it, the decision hurt even more:

“Every march, every rally, I’m going to be right up front,” Paultre Bell said at a rally with Reverend Al Sharpton front and center promising a massive citywide demonstration in the coming weeks.

“The justice system let me down. They killed Sean all over again. That’s what it felt like to us.”

“They’ve shown they will not hold the police responsible,” an emotional Sharpton addressed reporters from his Harlem headquarters. “Well guess what? If you won’t, we will.”

At the very least, he did ask all the protesters to use good judgment. Something which couldn’t be said during this case. Whether or not the two key prosecution witnesses Guzman and Benefield were believable, there had to be some form of punishment for the three officers. They can’t just get off Scott free.

It isn’t right. Cops have very high responsibilities. Part of that responsibility is using proper judgment and not overreacting making potentially chaotic situations worse.

This script has been written before. Armadou Diallo anyone? Same end result.

Was it Oliver, Isnora and Cooper’s intention to murder Bell? Probably not. But hey. You’re still responsible for your actions. What do you think the result would’ve been if they weren’t cops? It’s not even a question.

There just can’t be double standards in such a case as this. Bell’s body won’t rest in peace and neither will his still grieving wife and distraught parents Valerie and William.

How would you feel?