6 December 2013
Today, a great man died. Nelson Mandela lived a life that will be recorded by history books for generations to come. Our children and grandchildren will know his name.
Nelson Mandela’s legacy will inspire generations to come around the world.
My hope for the future is that his legacy will be greater than his legend. What I want our children to learn about the prisoner who became a president is that nothing is impossible. To look for possibilities even in the darkness.
Five years ago today, I was admitted to hospital in Berlin as my waters broke 26 weeks into a very complicated pregnancy. Forced bed rest in hospital. Lots of tests and tears later, our son was born just 28 weeks into the pregnancy on 13 December 2008. Premature, fragile and his heart was imperfect.
My first-born son, Kai, lived only 99 days. He died in an ambulance at the door of the hospital where he was born. That day, everything seemed dark and impossible.
And yet nothing is impossible.
At the age of 40, I had an easy, uncomplicated second pregnancy and my second son, Joshua, was born. Two weeks late and weighing in at 3.98kg. A relatively quick and drug-free natural birth.
Joshua is now 3.5 years old. He is fighting fit and bright as a button. He sees pictures of his brother, the baby with the tubes, in pictures. He doesn’t yet understand. But one day he will.
The lesson I will teach him from my life is the same as the lesson I hope he learns from the life of Nelson Mandela – nothing is impossible. Even in the darkness there is light.