GARGANTUAN steps
Wednesday, October 16, 2019
long walk to freedom
Just finished reading this book after a long hiatus for exams. I am inspired by how much this great man had lost, but yet even more inspired by how much he had gained from the losses. Here is someone who is a modern day Job, who had lost his freedom in his fight for the freedom of his fellow man in South Africa. And right till the very end, he remained pragmatic and consistent in his goals, not a hint of bitterness against the enemies that had kept him imprisoned for 27 years. He rose above the politics and is a truly inspiring figure of our times.
One thing that struck me though was that even though he had gained a nation, he has lost his family. He never managed to watch his children growing up. He never managed to bury his mother when she died. He separated from his wives. All because he fought for a 'bigger' cause. A poignant quote he made was that “to be the father of a nation is a great honor, but to be the father of a family is a greater joy.” And unfortunately, he never became a proper father to his family, and thus, did not experience this great joy. "I did not in the beginning choose to place my people above my family, but in attempting to serve my people, I found that I was prevented from fulfilling my obligations as a son, a brother, a father, and a husband."
“There is no easy walk to freedom anywhere, and many of us will have to pass through the valley of the shadow of death again and again before we reach the mountaintop of our desires.”
- Nelson Mandela
Labels: Books
posted by Gabriel Yan at 3:14 PM
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