This has nothing to do with the food we eat, but with food for the soul. The loss of a great inspiration, an example of a limitless capacity for wisdom and forgiveness. A trait I wish I had.

Nelson Mandela died this past Thursday, on December 5^th, 2013. With his death, a piece of me died too.

Why? I have visited South Africa seven times and the spirit of that place has never left me. I married a South African from Cape Town and the fruit of that marriage is my little flower, Yasmin. It is somewhere I will never forget and feel connected to.

There are so many things one can say about Nelson Mandela, so many. As a non-white person, I was able to walk, talk, eat and mingle with everyone else, like it should be, thanks to his efforts and determination to create a rainbow nation.

So many lessons to learn from the life he lead. The main one for me:

“As I walked out the door toward the gate that would lead to my freedom, I knew if that I didn’t leave my bitterness and hatred behind, I’d still be in prison.”

I need to get over past hurts and not only forgive, but also really forget.

* Art of Nelson Mandela by Visual Artist- Patrice Murciano, France – https://www.facebook.com/pages/Patrice-Murciano/100448973636