As a former journalist – and a Mott Communications Officer – I’ve been blessed to interview many famous people, including presidents, prime ministers and high-ranking government officials. I’ve also met movie stars, sports celebrities and other so-called important people, but my recent meeting in Durban was a notch above the rest.

During informal introductions at a Mott-sponsored workshop, I kept my enthusiasm in check and resisted the urge to lunge across the conference table. There she was. In the flesh. I had waited so long for this moment and all I wanted to do was to reach out and hug my hero, Ela Gandhi.

So, when the first break was announced, I raced toward her. We squeezed. We laughed. And we both asked people to shoot a few photos to mark our face-to-face meeting.

I know that Ela puts her shirt on the same way as you and me – one arm at a time. Still, it’s a rare joy when I get to chat with someone who embodies the spirit of peace and hope for my generation and my children’s too.

I’ve been told that “Natal,” as in Kwa-Zulu Natal, means “Christmas” in Portuguese. Sounds right to me ‘cause I received a precious present while in the province.