President’s Page, 0317 ALBJ, 78 The Alabama Lawyer 92 (2017)
| Author | J. Cole Portis, J. |
J. Cole Portis, J.
Improve in Mind, Body and Spirit
In December 1993, I had only been a lawyer for a few years, but during that month, my mind was not focused on practicing law. Instead, I was looking forward to becoming a first-time dad. My life was the epitome of the American dream. I had a great wife, a great job, a great home and a soon-to-be precious baby daughter. My wife’s pregnancy (from my perspective, of course) had been smooth and easy. Even the delivery of my daughter, Sarah Kathryn, was exhilarating, but medically it was uneventful. However, deep into the night tragedy struck. With no warning at all, my wife suffered a brain aneurysm and passed away later in the day. All of a sudden, my world was turned upside down.
Even while I cared for my newborn daughter, my perspective on life was challenged. My spirit, my mind and my body were stretched beyond what I thought was possible. Eventually, I was restored to a semblance of who I was before this tragic event occurred. As I slowly returned to work, I thought I was more prepared than I actually was. For instance, a few months after my wife’s death, I was scheduled to try a lawsuit in front of one of my legal mentors, Judge Phelps, and against one of my friends, Frank Stakely. As the day of trial approached, I was unable to concentrate on the task at hand–working hard on behalf of my client. I was emotional and not as prepared as I should have been. To be quite candid, I was a “basket case.” Fortunately, Frank and Judge Phelps observed my struggles and displayed compassion and support for me. Both of them aided in my emotional recovery.
By God’s grace, I think my spirit, body and mind fully recovered so that I could become a reliable father, a faithful friend and a competent lawyer (and eventually a loving husband to my sweet wife, Joy).
I know that I am not alone as a lawyer in dealing with tragedies. “Life” often hits us when we least expect it. Sometimes we handle these setbacks well and other times we don’t respond well at all. As lawyers, our lives have an added layer of stress. We have chosen an occupation that doesn’t rebuff stress, but invites it.
Data at the Center for Disease Control and Prevention reveals that the legal profession ranked fourth in suicide deaths by profession. According to the American Psychological Association, lawyers...
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