Rising above the Bar

It's been a bit tense in the Beaudry household these days. In case you haven't heard, Jennifer will be taking the New York State Bar Exam this week. She has spent the past three years preparing for this moment, and during the past two months, she has done nothing but eat, drink, and breathe in her legal studies. That is, nothing except give birth... but that was just a week off, and even then she considered bringing some review books to the hospital.

Jennifer set three goals for herself this year, which I earlier referred to as the "trifecta of insanity": graduate from law school, give birth to a beautiful but very heavy baby boy, and pass the bar. Two of those things are now complete. By Wednesday evening, it will all be over. On Thursday, we will wake up confused and unsure of what to do with ourselves. We might forget to wear underwear or socks. We might eat with our hands and talk in grunts. We might even watch "Wheel of Fortune." I just hope we don't accidentally try to put adult clothes on Kyle. My shirts are just not his style.

Until then, we're just doing all we can to help Jennifer study. My mom was here for two weeks to assist with Kyle duties so that Jennifer can review her notes for several hours straight each day. Meanwhile, I've been trying to support my studious wife. I even attempt to understand what she says from time to time, although, sadly, these days she hardly speaks anything but legal babble. Kyle is also pitching in by letting Jennifer sleep later into the night, and by helping her with some of the essay writing.


(Above: Kyle crashes after a full day of helping his mom study)

Once Jennifer is done with the Bar, she says she won't want to talk about it. That can be tricky, since there are plenty of things out there to remind her of the agony, but we'll do our best to avoid them. Starting Thursday, we're going to have to wash up with blocks of soap. If our sweet tooth is aching, we will have to buy a chocolate rectangle. And when Jennifer is finally done with that horrid exam, she will join some of her friends at an establishment that serves drinks on a long, wooden board. She deserves a good time.

So, keep Jennifer in mind on Tuesday and Wednesday. She has done all she can to prepare for this exam, but the extra support and prayers won't hurt. Also pray for Kyle. He'll have just his dad to take care of him during those two days, and who knows what will happen then.