An aunty 51 years old teaches us how to embrace the mindset: “Everyone can be an aunty.”

How does a bona fide Singaporean aunty operate? We get life lessons from self-professed aunty Stephanie Lau, in this installment of CNA Women’s light-hearted Aunty Week series. She compares prices mentally, is assertive, and builds a wide network of contacts.

During a dining out experience, I received a loyalty card from a friend. I thought we’d trash it, but he spun around and did what an aunty would do: Go down the line to give it away. Eventually, a customer in the queue accepted the card. My friend then talked the cashier into combining her existing and new cards.

I was shocked and awed at the same time. Shocked that inside this 33-year-old man lived an aunt, and awed that the cashier acquiesced without hesitation.

I began to wonder: What have I missed out on because I’ve been too thin-skinned to ask? How can I embrace my inner aunty and live a fuller life?

Aside from being a deputy director in a government agency, Stephanie Lau, 51, is known in her circles as the one aunty who rules them all.