Mom I need you

A k-drama episode taught me how to make my mom happy.

In the episode, a mom leaves home for a couple days, leaving a dad and two sons home alone.

They are entrusted to take care of the household and hilarity ensues:

• The minute Mom walks off, they strip down to their boxers and park out in front of the TV 😂
• Dinner is a disaster, in the end they mix everything in a bowl until it's vaguely edible
• In the morning the heat has gone out and the toilet is clogged and they're in shambles
• Among other things

Somehow though, to everyone's surprise, they eventually get it together. When the mom gets back, the laundry is put away, the side dishes are eaten, and the heat is working as it should be.

But for some reason, she goes to her room in a sour mood.

One of the sons later asks his friend why his mom was gloomy, even though they did everything she asked.

The wise friend says this:

“Do you know why your mom is in a bad mood? Because you guys were doing so well. Because you were doing so well, even without Mom.”

The mom was in a bad mood because moms—no scratch that, all people—want to feel needed.

A narrator adds on:

By the time you realize that you want to tell your mother that you’re sorry or grateful, too much time has passed. The best thing to make a mother happy is simply to say, “Mom I need you,” and that one thing is more than enough.

In other words, to make a mom happy, make her feel needed.

I don't do this well. I'm a pretty independent person, and generally I turn down my mom when she tries to help me. For one thing, I always turn her down when she offers to cook something for me to take to my apartment.

But I want to let my mom and my dad help me now. It makes them happy.

So I texted my mom and asked her to make me biriyani :)

imo stories (k-dramas or otherwise) can teach you a lot and this is an example of that. I used to be a self help junkie, but now I'm a story junkie, and in lots of ways I'm putting better lessons and values inside my head.

also watch Reply 1988. It's incredible and I've never been more emotionally invested in a show.