Tim had been updating me about his classmates'
whereabouts during the Holiday season: T went to
Hawaii, R visited Japan, H was skiing in Tahoe, etc. 

Unlike them, Tim spent the 2017 winter-break
preparing for the ISEE test. He got 94% in the 
SSAT early Dec and the whole family joined force
for the next one. He was only free the last day
and, with two friends, we watched a Star-wars 
movie and had a nice hotpot dinner. During the
whole time, Tim didn't complain.

On Jan 6, he destroyed the ISEE with over 90%
in all four sections. He answered all 30 questions
correctly in Verbal Reasoning. "Hard work pays off
in the end." I hope we have delivered this bigger
lesson through the experience.

It must be how mom felt when the two of us lived
in town and I was working hard in school to make
her happy. Things rarely get better than this and
I would be an ingrate if I were still to complain,
feel gloomy, lose temper, etc., in daily life. Of
course, the trick is to keep that perspective, all
the time. That'll be the test for me, as a parent
and as a human being.