Mommy & Me:Lelieka Barnes

Jody-Anne Lawrence, LifeStyle Reporter

Assistant brand manager of spirits at Red Stripe, Lelieka Barnes, tells Outlook that she never understood the concept of loving a human being more than she loved herself, until she had her son. He gave her a new perspective on life.

Now herself a mother, she hopes to walk in her mother's footsteps. The cliché 'like mother like daughter' perfectly describes her and her mother, Olivine Barnes. Their similarities are more than skin deep. They are both driven and focused women, whose love for family keeps them close together.

"Family life is important to both of us. I always try to make the time to visit and vice versa. If we can't visit, then we call. There are days when we call each other as much as three times in one day," Barnes tells Outlook.

She explains that her mother's best qualities are;

"She has very high standards when it comes to morals and ethics. She always told me, 'Your name is unique, so when you mess up, the world will know it's you. She always wanted me to be different," explains Barnes.

The adoration between mother and daughter is mutual. According to Olivine, "There are so many things that I admire about her. She is a wonderful young woman. I admire how frank she is and her ability to exactly what she thinks and feels. She also handles her financial affairs very well. She is always so loving and happy."

According to Leleika, she learnt all this from her mother. Her mother taught her that she should put God first, family and then career after, a lesson that she will also pass on to her children."