Even the heavens shed tears!

Is it just ME, or are you, too, proud to say you shared a bit of time on earth with the likes of Nelson Mandela?

The passing of a man like  Mandela opens up history lessons all of us should learn, or be reminded of.  It is a book that will continue to be written long after Mandela is laid to rest.

I am struck by the outpouring of emotion; not the scope of it, but the style of it.  As the heavens rained down its own tears, tens of thousands danced and sang in the streets as they celebrated his life, not his death.  I am sure this is just the reaction Mr. Mandela would have wanted.

As the largest group of world leaders assembled in Johannesburg and crowds withstood the pouring rain, I was reminded of powerful words spoken by  actor Mel Gibson in the character of William Wallace as the Scottish warrior faced a cruel and painful death fighting for what he believed in;  freedom for Scotland…

“…all men die, but not every man lives…”

How rightly these words depict the man a nation and now a world will forever call Madiba, Mandela’s ancestral clan.

I wondered where the strength to endure 27 years of imprisonment in a hard-labor prison comes from.  More so, I wonder how anyone who could survive the duration could move forward with no bitterness, no resentment, no hate in his heart.

It is easy to declare such things.  Time is the testament, however, and in the case of Nelson Mandela, these sentiments went beyond mere words to such an extent I cannot even find the word.

It is said the best way to teach is by example.  I believe this to be true.

From beneath the roof of my own family home, to learning of the likes of Mother Theresa, Ghandi, Pope John Paul II, I have learned that the actions of others resound ever more loudly than their words ever could. 

They endure long after the vibration of an echo is stilled.  They live forever, as will all those, whose names we will never know, whose deeds we will never hear of, but whose legacies will live forever.

I feel blessed to be part of this time in history.  With  the challenges we face today comes opportunity as never before to create a lasting impression; a legacy.  If even one person is affected by your actions in this world, you will have earned your time and space in this life and surely that in the life to come.

“…every man dies, but not every man lives…”

LIVE!