Kamala Harris is fulfilling not only the dream of many young women but her destiny as only her mother would know. When she gave tribute to her mother in her speech this past weekend, with the proud smile on her face, I wonder if there wasn’t some tiny regret that her mom was not here to witness this momentous day. She likely felt the strength of her spirit as she walked up to the podium.

Like Kamala, I share an admiration for my mother and what she has accomplished. I also have roots in Montreal; my mother was an immigrant to Canada, who came here to further her education and happened to meet her husband here. Her parents thought she should be a nun, while she dreamed of being a nurse. Unbeknownst to her parents, she saved her money, planned with a friend with the help of her friend’s father, to leave home for an education. She convinced her parents eventually, and at 18 years of age, travelled from Hong Kong to England. Then on to Boston and before landing in Montreal. As a trained midwife and labor and delivery nurse, she wanted a career during a time when many women were focused on marriage and family. My mother never stopped working even after she and my father started a family. My sister and I were given so many opportunities to learn and grow as young girls (yes, mom was TIgermom -ish). She believed in us and encouraged us to be tough, independent, confident and smart. (My much younger brother has had an appreciation for strong women from a very young age!)

She has never been content with the one job – she took an interest in real estate and eventually worked as an agent part time as well. After she retired from nursing, she kept up with real estate. It became another career for her, with my Dad, they worked together as a retired couple until his death 11 years ago. Fiercely independent, she has carved out a new life on her own, new friends, new social circles, she is still our mama – still picking up toilet paper and groceries for us when she sees a sale! To this day – she just turned 83 – she still participates in a few real estate deals a year as she is still quick as a whip. She is active at church, she does dance and fitness classes (even pinch hit as the instructor every so often before Covid hit and everything became remote). Remember what I said? She is EIGHTY -THREE.

I remember a few years ago we did an exercise at work where we were asked to describe our hero. Without any hesitation I described my mother to my team. When I visited her a little while after that meeting, I told her that she was my hero. I’ve never seen my mother look so pleased. But what was even more surprising was what she said to me.

She told me she was so proud of me. A few years earlier, I had secured a promotion which she hadn’t really acknowledged beyond saying congrats. This time, she said it wasn’t so common for a VP to be a woman, especially a woman of colour. Now if you are Asian, you have to know that this is a big deal – your parents never tell you to your face that they are proud of you. They prefer to brag about you to their friends and complain about you to your siblings behind your back. I was flabbergasted, but told her how important that was to me.

I am so lucky that we had that conversation. I treasure that moment in time, at a Tim Horton’s parking lot of all places, after having a coffee. I am blessed that mom is still alive and well – so full of wisdom and wit, and love and pride for me that she is willing to share.