Women paving the way…
She told me that she heard it from dozens of people that this was a men’s market, and she would have no business there. How dare she think she could break through this barrier?
It was just yesterday, as my husband and I walked down the street on Vancouver’s West End to have Breakfast on our bistro à coté… there she was… for the first time using a walker, for the first time with a caretaker… but there she was.
I was so happy to see her. Since about this time last year, I had never seen her again. I literally had tears in my eyes… tears of hope, tears of happiness, tears of compassion. How had the last 12 months been for her? She certainly seems frailer. She is now probably 95 or so. Staying at home for a full year at this age mustn’t be easy at all
It was all so quick… I waved at her and smiled behind my mask, teary eyes behind my glasses. She stopped and smiled at me. I could tell she recognized my face but couldn’t quite place me.
I don’t know her name, but she is the lady who goes every single day, without fail, to our favourite Breakfast place. She sits on her table to savour her coffee, enjoy the sun, she always plays with the flower arrangement. She is always happy, serene and just has some sort of strength that you can read in her eyes
This one time I sat beside her on a summer morning, on the patio. While my husband waited for our coffees inside, we started talking.
She told me that she had been married to a fisherman, who went on long trips, that left them longing for the next days together. One day he told her that his business was becoming quite profitable, so he asked that she took good care of their money and found smart ways to invest it.
After researching a few options, she found that real estate could be a promising option, so she decided to get into this market. She told me that she heard it from dozens of people that this was a men’s market, and she would have no business there. How dare she think she could break through this barrier?
Here she is, 60 years later: an accomplished woman, who told me oh so proudly about how she became the very first woman in real estate in what is now one of the hottest real estate markets in the world. I was so excited to hear her story, but above all, so grateful for her courage. So I thanked her for having been one of many, many women who bravely opened the path for all of us to follow.
Happy International Women’s Day!
