He was a great man.
I now really wish I had finished his autobiography.
Prayers for his family. I'd give them something wilver, but I don't think they'd appreciate it.

RIP.

~Autumn

Rarely do we see:

A determined activist;

A patient man;

A man who preferred the loving and peaceful path but wasn't above fighting fire with fire if need be;

A spiritual man capable of much understanding and forgiveness;

A deft politician; and

A Founding Father type capable of reinventing his own nation without inciting civil war;

All rolled into one, tied together with an aura of charisma, every ounce of which he may have needed to accomplish his goals.

If aliens ever stop by and ask us if we are worth keeping around, Mandela is a prime example of humanity at its finest, for having battled and come through humanity at its worst without overpowering bitterness and with his extraordinary compassion intact.

We are lucky to have lived in a world where he existed. His legacy will ripple through us for centuries to come.