A nation remembers…

It’s such a sad, sad, time for my beloved country, South Africa. This week and more especially on December 5, we will relive and remember how a collective cry of despair took hold of our nation one year ago.
It is the day the father of our nation, Nelson Mandela (or Madiba as he was affectionately known), passed on.

We knew this day would come but I think we silently hoped that he would live forever.
Madiba paid his dues, he fought the good fight, he made many sacrifices.
That day will forever be remembered as one of the most emotional dates in our history…

Nothing could have prepared us for the incredible sadness that swept across our nation and the world.
Nothing could help ease the heartache that felt like a ten ton truck had crashed.

Words seemed empty. People wept openly and shared anecdotes. This was after all a man who led his people free. A man who never once complained about spending 27 years in a prison cell. This was a man who stood firmly and fought gallantly for basic human rights.

Obituaries read like they were churned out from the same machine.
Each writer (including this one) all speaking about the hero and role model whose immeasurable love,
honesty, integrity, humility, compassion, foresight and wisdom touched the lives of people across the world.

Madiba’s presence was something you have had to experience first-hand. I never really understood what people meant until I attended a press conference on Robben Island where
he delivered a speech. Awwww… the memory.

The sharp pain that darted through my heart before I started writing this has been replaced with a smile and a sense of peace.

The truth is we can smile fondly as we remember and give thanks for the gift of Madiba’s life.
Truly an incredible man.
So selfless.
So loving.
So tolerant.
So thoughtful.
So kind.
So sympathetic.

Madiba epitomised every infinite possibility this country has to offer and more.
My earnest prayer is that every single South African will take stock at this time.
That everyone will make a concerted effort to carry out his legacy of reconciliation, unity, forgiveness and Ubuntu.

Rest in peace Tata!