This past Monday was a big day for our family--Jace got sworn into law in the great state of Tennessee. Three years ago if you would have told us that Jace would be a TN attorney, we probably would have laughed in your face.
Then I would have proceeded to tell you how God awful TN orange is and I will never, ever wear that pumpkin throw-up orange color. I still stand by those sentiments. For years, we imagined going back home; Jace being an attorney in Graves doing real estate work and me being the FCS agent. However, the Good Lord had different plans and we have tried hard to follow his will for our lives. Just so happens God's will brought us to a city council building in Knoxville, TN on Nov. 4, 2013. Around 110 attorneys got sworn into the practice of law and it was one of the most rewarding, humbling, and emotional things I have experienced.
Jace's family traveled down to witness the big day and honey, each one of us whipped out our finest suites. We were going to court and what else do you wear? Jace's family and I had never been in a court room environment before and took everything in. There were proud families everywhere, iphones and cameras were snapping photos every second, and there was relief and excitement in the air.
We met up with Kennedy, and his new wife, Elizabeth--the ones who had just gotten married on Saturday. Bless their hearts, they rearranged their wedding weekend getaway for the swearing in ceremony! We sat together and Elizabeth and I were beaming wives. Our boys did it and they did it together. They survived a summer of studying, practice exams, early Saturday morning study sessions, and had passed! But it was more than just this past summer. They had passed the LSAT, were accepted in law school, worked hard throughout law school, sacrificed their personal lives for school, studied for finals that were beyond challenging, and had met all requirements for graduation. The process to get to last Monday was lengthy, intense, and multi-stepped and that is why Monday was so rewarding.
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| Two of the finest TN attorneys I know! |
I didn't do a lick of work in law school--it was all Jace. However, I emotionally was in each class, studied for each final, practiced and participated in each Moot Court competition, wrote an Appellate Advocacy brief, and my spirit walked with him across that stage in May. I know the hours Jace logged in, I know the things he gave up in order to study just a little bit more, I know the pressure he put on himself, I know how hard he worked for the honor of Summa Cum Laude. Y'all Jace gave me one of life's greatest joys in that I got to witness him reach, and exceed, his dream of becoming an attorney. That my friends brings me to my knees. That is why Monday was so humbling. Despite setbacks, long hours, hard exams--Jace never gave up. Never. He proved to himself that with hard work, dedication, focus, drive, determination, and God's grace, you can be anything you want to be. How many of us actually accomplish our dreams and make it reality? I would venture to say not that many. Yet, Jace did! He doesn't know it but he taught me so much through his journey and continues to teach and stretch me each day.
What I love about Jace is that through all his success he doesn't want to make a big deal of it. He doesn't want the light shown on him; rather he gives all the glory to God. God has blessed him with the ability to interpret law and a passion to help others. In our law school journey, it has been hard at times to give up the control and place our lives in God's hands. We had our own dreams and thoughts of what we would be doing and where we would be. However, when we gave up control and our own desires and let God lead us, he has continuously blessed us and taken care of us beyond our wildest dreams. We couldn't have imagined that three years ago we would be living in Gainesville and Jace being in the LLM program. Though it is difficult to "let go and let God", it has made for one heck of a ride and we pray we bring glory to God throughout the journey.
Needless to say, all of this was running through my head on Monday. All these emotions and feelings were just below the surface. I told Jace and I really could have taken 30 minutes for a full out, nasty cry but didn't want to be "that" wife who was losing it in the ceremony. I held it together but it was hard.
The ceremony was wonderful and it felt sorta like our wedding. The room was filled with love, respect, reverence, and honor. Jace took a vow just like he did at our wedding, only this time he didn't get a ring and wife out of it! When it was his turn, Jace approached the justices and with the Knoxville Bar Association President by his side, she made a motion before the court for Jace to practice law in TN.
The justices accepted the motion.
Everything was finalized after Jace raised his right hand and made his oath. Before Jace and the other new attorneys took their oath, the chief justice told family members to get up and get their camera ready. We all positioned ourselves in front of our attorney and honey, it was like the paparazzi had entered the room. I only have about 35 pictures of Jace saying a 30 second oath!
In the closing remarks the justices encouraged the new attorneys to practice pro bono work, to keep their life in balance, to uphold their integrity and ethics, and to remember who packs your parachute. The chief justice told a story about a solider meeting the person who packed his parachute when he had to eject from a plane and how that meeting altered his life. I'd like to think that Jace's family and I helped pack his parachute but more importantly, it was God.
Overall it was a great day. It was like we ended on chapter but yet it also felt like the beginning of another. On the drive back to the swamp, we both reminisced about the journey and talked about how great of a day it was. When we left on Monday, I knew that wasn't our one and only swearing in ceremony. There will be more. There will be more Bar exams and waiting periods for results. You would think that I would dread the Bar process but I don't. Knowing that Jace will most likely take the Bar again only means that, Jace will continue to live out his dream and reach higher than he ever thought possible. I am just thankful I can go along for the ride and be a part of the journey.
