Its Mandela Day

Today is Mandela Day and everyone around the world are celebrating not only his birthday but the legacy he left behind. I remember always hearing about Nelson Mandela but not seeing him until one day when my dad painted our kitchen and the Mail and Guardian newspaper was on the floor for protection. I was quite taken with the article and excited to see the man who`s birthday we celebrated every year with juice and Jester cake (anyone remember that cake?) at school .

Mandela was born on this day in 1918 and I am sure he never in his wildest dream knew he would be the president of the country and also change so many lives . According to NBC News Nelson changed 6 things in South Africa :

Forsaking bloodshed
Forging a political path
A global player
Peace and forgiveness
A cultural power
A generous soul

I think many feel proud of his achievements and rightfully so , I remember the day Nelson came out of prison , I was standard 9 I think and was waitressing at a function in town. There was so many people in town that day , it was an amazing unity that took place. I got a glimpse of him for the first time , he was an extremely tall handsome man with a great smile. I later saw him at a local primary school and obviously on every newspaper , magazine and TV channel. We all celebrate this great man`s life , but for me personally nothing has changed , in fact we are experiencing the exact opposite of what NBC News believe. I think we can all hold onto what he believed in, but the choice is still ours to change things. The onus is on each one of us to uphold his legacy if it makes a difference in our own lives. My dad also left a legacy , but he was my dad , but Mandela was father to his own children and the nation, did he leave them a legacy? I doubt that very much because a few months after his death they were at each others throat over his money and to me that should have been a private matter, not to be aired in public .I think Mandela should have focussed on his family first then to the world, because today there is a family feud and he is not here to fix it, he fixed the country but he never fixed Jerusalem and yes I should not be negative , but lets face it this is reality. He was not GOD like many people believe, he was human and he had faults too and as much as I want to be in a celebratory mood , I keep asking myself , what did Mandela do for me ? I cant answer that honestly , but I can tell all of you what GOD did for me so there will not be 67 min from my side. HAPPY MANDELA DAY FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO ARE CELEBRATING .