I don't have a nice photo of Nelson Mandela to show you.
Seems like everybody has one.
Or at least a story to tell.
Which says a lot about the man.
He understood better than anybody the power of the photo op.
He was kind, he was gentle, he was patient, a man who embodied grace, and laughter and good will, a man who was quick to dance a jig.
Diamonds on the soles of his shoes.
We can talk all we like about his accomplishments, but mostly, I think of Madiba as having the butterfly effect. His work, his sacrifice, has had a profound effect on little people, like those who occupy a place in my own family.
Like the lovely Maya, my wonderful niece who works hard every day to improve the lives of the disenfranchised in Manitoba. Maya is my niece by marriage, a girl whom I met at the age of five when my brother Gary married her mother, Marilyn. She is such a light in our lives.
And in 2015, my own daugher, Marissa, will marry her beloved Jeff, a man of Haitian ancestry. This kind of marriage would not have been possible were it not for the influence of Madiba or others who fought so hard to have the world recognize that skin color does not define the individual.
My family has been blessed in so many extraordinary ways, I cannot tell you.
Tolerance. Love. Sacrifice. Commitment.
God bless you, Madiba for showing us the way.
By your example, we are all able to follow your lead.
Seems like everybody has one.
Or at least a story to tell.
Which says a lot about the man.
He understood better than anybody the power of the photo op.
He was kind, he was gentle, he was patient, a man who embodied grace, and laughter and good will, a man who was quick to dance a jig.
Diamonds on the soles of his shoes.
We can talk all we like about his accomplishments, but mostly, I think of Madiba as having the butterfly effect. His work, his sacrifice, has had a profound effect on little people, like those who occupy a place in my own family.
Like the lovely Maya, my wonderful niece who works hard every day to improve the lives of the disenfranchised in Manitoba. Maya is my niece by marriage, a girl whom I met at the age of five when my brother Gary married her mother, Marilyn. She is such a light in our lives.
And in 2015, my own daugher, Marissa, will marry her beloved Jeff, a man of Haitian ancestry. This kind of marriage would not have been possible were it not for the influence of Madiba or others who fought so hard to have the world recognize that skin color does not define the individual.
My family has been blessed in so many extraordinary ways, I cannot tell you.
Tolerance. Love. Sacrifice. Commitment.
God bless you, Madiba for showing us the way.
By your example, we are all able to follow your lead.
Comments
Post a Comment