Top chef Thomas Keller’s poignant NYTimes reflection What the Last Meal Taught Him is an example of a man moving from Modern, master of the universe values, to more feminine Cultural Creative concerns. Keller may have traversed out of an early life based on Traditional values, believing the his Marine drill sergeant father wouldn’t abandon him as a young boy.

photo via Gracious Style websiteKeller’s father eventually came to live with him, next door Keller’s The French Laundry restaurant and life was sweet, until a terrible car accident left the senior Keller a quadriplegic.

The chef, who has built his professional life on a devotion to precision, analysis and control that borders on the obsessive, came to understand in new ways that life is messy, friends and colleagues say.

“This was one of the first times during his successful professional life that there was no guarantee how things were going to go on any given day,” Ms. (Laura)Cunningham, (Keller’s longtime partner) said. “You just had to take each day for what it was.” via NYTimes

HOME BASE The chef Thomas Keller in his kitchen in Yountville, Calif. Photo Jim Wilson, NYTimesAs Keller became a more patient leader of his multi-million dollar restaurant industry, he acknowledged the importance of relationships, deciding to marry Cunningham.