A man the likes of which we’d not seen in a long time sat behind those walls.
Praying and hoping his fellow countrymen would do the right thing.
Too long, his people denied the same rights and freedoms as whites.
An age old problem since Gandhi sought to end the oppression of Indians in South Africa, and elsewhere in the British Empire, nonviolently.
Aggressive and militant when he entered prison.
Twenty-seven years later, Nelson Mandela emerged a changed man.
Practicing peace among men, he was awarded the Nobel Prize.
Bougainvillea from the barren earth grew.
Mandela bloomed.
Flourishing.
At peace.
hugmamma's MIND, BODY and SOUL 
Nice tribute to an inspirational being. I’m old enough to remember apartheid and as young as I was I knew it was wrong. Racism should be dead, but it isn’t. I’ve had enough personal experience since my marriage! 🙂
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Warm thanks for your comment. Very sad indeed that centuries of racism still have not been erased from mankind’s history. Being a native Hawaiian I’ve experienced tinges of it because I’m brown-skinned. I have so much empathy for colored people of all ethnicities, but particularly those of African descent. Sorry is probably not enough to assuage what you must feel since you’ve lived what I can only imagine. But if it helps…I am sorry.
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Racism these days is subtle! However, it’s my husband who has had to go through it more than me. He has to travel a lot internationally for his job, and even though he is a British citizen and has a British passport, he sometimes has more trouble than ‘real’ Brits getting visas because he has a Turkish surname. Then, I’ve had book confiscated by customs because they either were, or looked like, Bibles! 🙂
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In these times of widespread terrorism, the innocent suffer. There’s nothing I can say I’m sure that would assuage what you and your husband experience. Life has its challenges, for all of us, each in his or her own way. Hopefully knowing that you aren’t alone helps a little. hugs…
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Thank you. It really isn’t that bad, though. We have some are good friends, too. Our greatest challenge came when my husband was found to have a brain tumour. A couple of emergency ops, chemo and radio and 7 years of remission, we are okay …! Life could be a LOT worse and is, for some others. You meet them every day on the Internet and in life. BIG SPEECH over!!! 🙂
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Sooo glad to hear yours and your husband’s worst nightmare is receding into the past…and that you’ve good friends by your side. And no need to apologize for the “big speech.” It was an important one. hugs…
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Millie, what a beautiful tribute. He was a great man who will be missed!
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hugs for your comment. And you’re right. Who knows when another Mandela will happen along…
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Dear Millie,
What a lovely tribute. Nice one.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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Thanks, Rochelle. At first I wasn’t sure what I would do. But while listening to the broadcasts about Mandela’s passing, the words flowed. hugs for the warm comment…
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A lovely tribute to a great man Hugmamma-the world has lost a great ,man!:-)One small error-it is Gandhi not Ghandi 🙂
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Thank you. I will make the correction. The man is so great…I gave him a longer name. 🙂
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🙂
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No. Actually, I just put the “g” for great at the beginning, rather than the end.
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Great tribute.
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Great man…
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Yes he was.
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🙂
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