bar exam

One of the ways in which Dad monitors Mom's status is through her behavior. His specific metric: whether or not Mom chooses to sit at our renovated kitchen's new bar. Dad loves sitting and eating there, and I don't mind playing the role of line cook for him, but Mom has normally chosen to take her meals at her "throne" in the living room: the corner of the long couch that affords her a good view of the TV.

For the last few meals, however, Mom has chosen to sit at the bar and eat with us. Dad finds this encouraging: I suppose he feels that it reflects her determination to be engaged in family life. If that's true, then I'm encouraged, too. Mom got up around 11AM today, and was out of bed around 12:15PM. She's at the bar now, happily munching away on homemade soup, homemade oi-kimchi, and homemade cole slaw. If Mom's happy, then Dad's happy, and if she's sitting at the bar, he's even happier.


_