The entrepreneur and television personality Saira Khan writes to her mother
Dear Mum
I only truly realised what a remarkable woman you are when I became a mum myself. I will never forget all the sacrifices you have made for me and, more importantly, I will pass on to my own children your remarkable life story, which makes you my role model and the woman I admire the most.
Dad used to say to you: “If you were a company, I’d invest in you and I’d be a millionaire overnight.” It was a reference to your superhuman work ethic and your natural ability to make and save money. Mum, you never stopped working and everything you did you did to the best of your ability and always to the highest of standards.
I remember vividly that for a long time your typical day would involve you getting up at 5am to get our school clothes ready and prepare our breakfast and the evening meal ahead of time. Then you’d set off at 7am to walk six miles to save on the bus fare to work eight hours in a factory, making car parts. After tea, you’d make samosas to sell to the women at work. With the samosa money you saved up, you bought me my first driving lesson. You always worked, and in all your working life you were never late once and you never took a day off sick.
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I try to do my little bit to say thanks. One of your favourite moments was when I took you to meet Prince Charles at a charity ball. He shook your hand and spoke with you about Kashmir. You said to me afterwards: “Who would have thought that someone like me would ever have the opportunity to shake the hands of a prince?”
After Dad’s death, you were down for a few years, but you motivated yourself to live life without him, and at 58 you learnt how to swim, took up exercise and lost two stone. You now come to the gym with me and we work out together. One of my favourite memories is of you wearing jogging pants for the first time — you used to wear traditional Asian clothes to the gym and got some stares, but that never put you off. You’ve never been scared of anyone. I love and admire you for that.
You will be 65 this year, and I want to say that throughout my life, you have inspired and motivated me. You’ve shown me how to be strong and independent and to set an example of how to live life without fear.
I love you more than words can ever say. Thank you for being my mum.
Saira