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Nelson Mandela will be remembered around the world as the emblematic face of the struggle against apartheid.  Perhaps more than any other individual, Mandela, who died on December 5, 2013 at age 95, embodied the effort to scrap apartheid in South Africa and bring the nation’s exclusive white rule to an end. Upon his death, he is known for his character and its transformation of a nation. Yet, throughout most of his life, Mandela was a controversial and divisive figure.

Grandmother Willa was a positive influence in my life. She was principled, yet understanding; helpful, but not overly demonstrative; instructional, but not confrontational. The stains on the kitchen ceiling of her small two-bedroom Cape Cod testified to her love of canning and food preparation for family dinners, and that she endeavored to provide for herself and others well into her senior years. She had many talents and many passions.

In the well-known story of Jonah, God instructed the reluctant prophet to deliver a warning to the city of Nineveh, an Assyrian stronghold. Assyria was traditionally a bitter enemy of Israel. Jonah unwisely attempted to shirk his duty and run away from his responsibility. To get away, he booked passage on a ship in Joppa (modern-day Jaffa) going to Tarshish, which was probably located in modern-day Spain.