Nelson Mandela

We have many books in here about Nelson Mandela respectfully known as Madiba.
It is not very often I blog about anything other than books here, but today I am going too. Not only because The Long Road to Freedom was one of the most inspirational books I have read, or the wisdom we can glean from Mandela's Way: Lessons on Life, Love, and Courage by Richard Stengel. These are books- but the story is Mandela's life.
I have spent a lot of time in CapeTown  mostly in Khayelitsha and the Cape Flats, and there are many people I know there who will be utterly devastated at the loss of Nelson Mandela. I have a friend called Clinton, he was a "coloured" under that evil regime, he took me once to a spot near a beach. He sat in silence and looked. He looked out to sea, to Robben Island and he quietly and reverently said that he used to go there and think, and do all he could to send Mandela his deep respect and honour. He said by sitting there he gained courage, he gained strength and he gained  a spirit of gentleness instead of a spirit of retribution.
Mandela is  the greatest man in my life span and of one the greatest of all time. Without his determination to lead South Africa out of apartheid in peace and dignity, nothing less than a full scale civil war would have erupted. He protected that nation from that disgrace and he replaced it instead with a nation that had hopes and dreams for equality, freedom and hope for all. He had every reason to become bitter, angry and lead his nation into armed combat, but he was bigger than that, he had a far better vision- a united South Africa where all are equal- is was and still is a long road to freedom, but he led it and I know Clinton, Hazel, Jack, Jeroma, Alphonzo and even baby Limontha will forever thank this great man for being the man for his time. My heart and thoughts go to my CapeTown family- endure your loss, celebrate a great life and be determined to keep the journey going that he started.