My Better Half

There's a story that goes something like this...

Barack & Michelle Obama are dining at a restaurant when the Manager walks over and embraces Michelle,  asking her, with a broad smile across his face, "How have you been after all these years?"

After he leaves, Barack asks his wife, "How did you know him?"
To which Michelle responds, "He proposed to me back in the day..." with a reminiscent smile.
Barack, keeping his composure, while obviously slightly jealous quips, "Well honey, if you had married him you would be the wife of a restaurant manager."

Michelle softly responds, "No darling, if I had married him, he would be the President of the United States today."

----

Great story isn't it? Humbles you. Reminds you that no one is an island. While the tough times define you, they also highlight the angels around you.

I'm very lucky. I am constantly thankful for that. I have a very close-knit family unit - My parents, brother, and sister-in-law are always by my side. Then there are many uncles, aunts, cousins, and "distant" relatives who remember me in their thoughts/greeting cards/etc...

Family has been an inexplicable pillar in my life. Come to think of it there are quite a few friends who fall in this category, too! Basically what I'm trying to say is that I did not do what I have done alone - there are so many people out there that have been integral in the journey... 

And one person (who is about to join the family unit soon as well :) has literally been my better half, esepcially through this journey to b-school (her family's great too!).

There were times that I wondered what the point of some of her difficult questions were, why she would get frustrated when I took a night off from GMAT prep, and best of all what was the point of some of the arguments over random words or phrases in my essay applications.

And now I look back at the application and what I used to think was the brutality with which it was checked, was really unconditional love - and I can't help but smile. I almost want to apologize for the madness! (which I did do, but was "refunded" after experiencing the Illinois Bar Prep vicariously through her ;)

Truth be told, I didn't get into INSEAD - we did.