I found out on Friday morning that I had passed the bar exam. My wife called me crying and screaming like a mad person on Friday at 11:30 A.M. to tell me that my name was on the successful list. I was elated and in shock at the same time and I still don't think it has set in yet. It is an end to a long hard road that I have traveled. But it's not just been me. Many folks have traveled this road with me and I'm going to take this time to thank them.
My wife. Where would I be without her? Definitely not where I am today. She has sacrificed so much in the past 4 years to hold our family together. Especially after our move back to Paris. She has worked 2 jobs, often working over 80 hours a week, to put food on our table. More than that, she has lived the lifestyle of a single parent for alot of that due to the fact that I spent 3 nights a week in Nashville. You try working until 8 or 9, then getting home and cooking supper for your 3 kids, getting them baths and then getting them in bed. I couldn't do, that's for sure. But she did it night after night. Carol has also been a tremendous help during that time. On the nights Whitney knew she would be working until after 10, Carol was the one who took care of the kids. I look forward to the day, in the VERY near future, that Whitney can quit her second job completely. She deserves that and I feel I owe that to her for everything she has done while I was in school. This paragraph doesn't do her justice, I know. Words can't describe how vital she has been in this whole process. Just know that it hasn't gone unnoticed.
My family. When I got my Acceptance Letter back in 2008, I was happy, but wondered how I was going to pay for it. I called my mom to tell her that I had been accepted and she told me that everything would be taken care of. And it was. My grandmother paid for my tuition and books the first year. Mom and Dad paid for my second year and Jeff paid for my third. Whitney and I were able to cover my last year and bar expenses. I wouldn't have a degree today without my family because I would not have been able to afford it. I will pay them back some day.
My coworkers. My third year, Moot Court started and I had to be in Nashville 3 nights a week. My fourth year, all of the electives that I needed to graduate in December were offered at 4:45 P.M., meaning that I would have to leave Paris around 2:15 P.M. to get there in time for class. I was fortunate to have a boss who was understanding and allowed me to work a modified schedule in order to make it all work. Also, there were afternoons where my coworkers had to see people who were in our office to see me. They could have easily said no to all of it and then I'd have been in trouble.
My church family. The people at Maplewood Baptist Church are some of the finest people that I know. The weeks leading up to the bar exam, they were all so encouraging. On the day of the test, at 9:00 A.M. (the time the test started), I know that there were a multitude of them praying for me and others to have wisdom and understanding during the test. I believe in the power of prayer and I believe whole-heartedly that those people praying for me at that time was a major factor in the reason that I passed. If you are looking for a church home, you should come to Maplewood. They truly have a love for Christ and a love for people. It shows everytime you walk through the doors.
There are numerous others that deserve to be on here and if you're not, I'm sorry and hope you are not offended. From the numerous attorneys who offered words of encouragement and advice to my teachers to Mike Creasy, who was my ride for the past 2 years, and on and on, let me simply say....
Thank you! I wouldn't be here today without you.
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