Mandela died today

It's also Sinterklaas' birthday, or at least the eve of. I prepared 83 simple Word documents during the late afternoon today. Don't ask me why. At work, in some ways, we live in the past. 

Mandela died today.

I consider him the most amazing person of my lifetime. Not that I saw him, or was even anywhere near. Just from seeing I came to believe in human goodness, the love thy neighbor, turn the other cheek thing, the stuff we all believe in, but few actually practice.

Begin and Sadat come close. Peace makers. While in his presence, Mandela forced the rest of us to clean up our act. I first heard about him in the late sixties when we were all looking for a savior, having already lost so many. Where were the heroes who's journeys needed to be told?

Somehow, nothing seemed to ever diminish his glow. Hate was overcome. Maybe not forever, but at least during his lifetime. For all of us to see.

He stood head and shoulders above us, among us and with us.

A spirit of goodness. A beacon of hope. For all time.