67 Minutes

Today is Nelson Mandela's 92nd birthday. In honour of his 67 years of service to his country and his people, the Mandela Foundation asked people around the world to give 67 minutes of their time to volunteer work - one minute for every year that he spent in the struggle for equality.

We joined another home educating family who had made a steaming hot pot of soup and some rolls for the homeless. Our older two children had made some sandwiches and we took a bag of oranges along.

As we parked just around the corner from our home, the homeless in the neighbourhood flocked around us to receive the food. They were truly grateful. It was a humbling experience. One lady did not come near to get food and J and I went to offer her some. She held out her hands and I said she should help herself. Her reply was that she is blind....I was so saddened that she is living her life on the streets and cannot even see.

The children too were saddened by what they saw today. It is so different to interact with these street people rather than just drive by and comment on them. It has been so bitterly cold recently and I shudder to think what it must feel like out there on these cold winter nights. I think we will be making more sandwiches very soon....