‘I’m not some superwoman’, but my mom was

EDMONTON – Our mothers are more than just the people who bring us into this world. They can be our mentors, our guardians, and even our heroes.

For Laurie Wang, this is especially true. Wang has lived in Alberta for most of her life, but her story started on a much darker path. The winding road she took to success was frought with perilous moments from her birth. She believes her triumphs all boils down to her loving parents and, particularly, the strength of her mother.

“My mom was born in Cambodia but we’re Chinese. She had my brother when the Khmer Rouge was ruling in Cambodia. Then she, my older brother, and my dad fled the civil war there. They ended up in a refugee camp in Thailand,” shared Wang.

“When she had my brother she was trying to hide this baby. She would tell us stories about how they were hiding from soldiers and she was so scared that the baby would make a yelp and reveal where they were. I can’t even imagine that.”

Wang was born in that refugee camp in Thailand, with the help of a Red Cross nurse.

“[Mom] told me that when she was pregnant with me… she didn’t have much to eat. There was someone beside her and that person had an orange. All she asked was if she could smell a piece of the orange, like the peel. She’s never had the luxury of eating an orange. She told me, ‘That person was so nice because they actually shared their orange with me and I just wanted to smell it.'”

And a few years later, they were lucky enough to be sponsored by the Canadian government. They moved to Calgary and lived in Calgary Housing, a city-owned housing program for low-income families. Her younger brother was later born in Canada.

Laurie Wang as a child posing with her mother. (CREDIT: Laurie Wang)

Growing up, Wang didn’t have a lot but she says she remembers the sacrifices her late mother made to give her kids the best future possible.

“Whenever she went to something at work and she could bring food or leftover stuff home to us–that seems to some people like something that could be embarrassing. Now that I think back, it’s because she cared about bringing stuff to us. It’s those things that as I was growing up I started to appreciate more… Being able to go to school was huge for my mom.”

She recalls her own struggles when her babies were young and says she leans on those memories to keep her powering through.

“I have never asked myself, ‘How am I going to make it through this?’ But that’s not because I’m some superwoman–it’s because of my mom.”

“They worked really hard and crazy hours for us… My dad worked during the day and my mom would work in the evening. They didn’t have the luxury of paying for childcare,” she shared.

“You know how everybody has RESPs for their kids now? My mom wasn’t able to save up at the time until my little brother [was older]. My little brother got a little RESP that she had saved up. The rest of us had to make ends meet. but I remember that was something she was very proud of… I think back and I can understand… [why] that was something she was very happy she could do for her last child.”

Wang argues her parents’ triumphs over their struggles built the foundation of their children’s success. “I think they were quite proud when we were able to have a post-secondary education and they were able to buy their first house… They ended up having a little pizza shop.”

She jokes that her mom may have never been awarded the Order of Canada, but what she was able to accomplish for Laurie and her two brothers was impeccable.

“When I went through my pregnancies and when I had my kids I think back to a lot of the things that she taught me. I didn’t really appreciate them as much until I had my own kids.”

Wang’s mother passed away five years ago when she was pregnant with the second of her three kids. She says she hopes that she can shape her kids and pass on the same character values that her mom built into her: when times get tough, you get tougher.

“Because of her, I never have to ask, ‘How am I going to make it through this?’ I will always make it through this.”