Madiba

In life, moments arise that give us pause, unite people around the globe. We join hands as we let go of our differences and collectively create an energy that could change the world.


A feeling of sadness mixed with the joy of having witnessed greatness takes hold and a celebration unlike no other begins never to happen again.

As the coverage swept the airwaves, I wished I had been fortunate enough to be in the presence of Nelson Mandela as he lived, had a moment when I wanted to hop a flight to join the crowd gathering to pay tribute upon his death. Since that was not to be, I tapped into the interviews conducted with non-celebrity types, people like me who admired from a distance with no less love and awe than those whose positions in life afforded them up close and personal contact, individuals whose feet were now planted on the street in South Africa right outside of Mandela’s home. People spoke with eloquent emotion and the words of one caught my attention, “Don’t cry because it’s over, smile because it happened!” he jubilantly expressed. For some reason, that simple statement resonated deeply with me, really summed up the mood of the crowd who through their tears were dancing and singing. So to those words I will add a few of my own…and let us rejoice!

We are better for having known personal or from afar, indeed let us rejoice and…

keep your peepers open!®

PS - When I lived in NYC, I did have the good fortune to meet, have an instant connection with and then receive an invitation from Zindzi Mandela to have a private lunch with her. We giggled like two friends who had known each other for years and though we had such different lives, we had so much in common. We kept in touch for several months before we lost contact; a photo of us is in my memory box. To her and her family, my best.