Through my eyes

"May you have your eyes opened to be part of fighting inequality, injustice and poverty, which still remain a challenge for our country. May the eyes of your spiritual understanding be open through this light to see and uplift the down trodden all around you. May you have a pleasant evening and may the Grace of God be upon you all. May the Supreme Light of lights enlighten your understanding!" His Royal Highness King Goodwill Zwelithini at the Diwali celebration in Nongoma.

It was a week of tremendous intensity and beauty. How did I even find myself in this wonderment of splendour I am still trying to recover from all the splendidness. Please remind me, next time I am complaining about my heavy workload, about this last week and the privilege of being alive in these glorious times.

Last Thursday's Glamorous Pink Affair at the Beverly Hills Hotel outshone all the functions to date, as each and every attendee took the time and energy to transform into a ramp model and presented herself at the beautifully adorned Sugar Club venue.

This year we celebrated the 25th Anniversary of the Estee Lauder Breast Cancer Campaign. What stuck in my mind was Ms Lauder's commitment to this worthy cause and her selfless drive to make a difference in people's lives.

Although more and more womenare surviving breast cancer, it is still the most common cancer in the world and it has beenon the risefor several years.

While it's worrying that women are now more likely to develop breast cancer than they were a decade ago, there is good news too.

Survival rates have also shot up. Almost two out of every three women with breast cancer now survive the disease beyond 20 years, compared to less than half in the 1990s.

And more than three-quarters of women diagnosed with breast cancer survive for at least 10 years or more. Research has beenat the heart of this progress- and it will continue to playa vital rolein beating the disease in the future.

Friday was so inspirational as we celebrated my dear friend Gaetan Robert's launch of Newtown Ballito Community Project. It has been in the pipeline for many years and after many nights of dreaming, scheming and visualising his social cohesion vision, it is finally here with his 'family' of talented artists who are busy creating an outlet for local talent and social inclusion. So watch this space as we start a new chapter of Celebrating Local Talent at the Newtown Ballito.

Saturday was a true cherry on the top for me - the Diwali celebration at the Linduzulu Royal Palace in Nongoma. The Zulu Monarch appears to be in excellent health and is showing no sign of aging. He lashed out at the ANC regarding the crime and corruption and issued a stern warning about the consequences of lawlessness that is taking place in our beautiful South Africa.

As my week came to an end I reflect on the blessing of being present and active in these vibrant and complex times. There is nothing easy or pragmatic about the times we are living in and for most it is getting harder and harder to stay positive. I must admit I am finding it hard to reach the finish line.