Hi Reader,

It's Sharon from Simply Home, back with a new edition of the Simple Things Digest.

And man, do I have a story for you...

On a Personal Note

It was mid afternoon on Friday the thirteenth. (I’m not superstitious. I just mean it was Friday and it was the thirteenth.)

Ninety potential jurors, including me, had been at the courthouse since nine a.m. We’d finally finished the questioning phase and were waiting on the lawyers to make their strikes from the jury pool.

In the meantime, the judge dismissed numbers sixty three through ninety. I was juror number two.

After about an hour, the bailiff instructed us to rise for the judge.

Once we were all seated again, a young woman, who I assume was a clerk, made her way to the front of the courtroom.

“If I call your number, come up and take a seat in the jury box. Juror number 2,” she called out.

My heart beat a little faster as I rose from the wood pew in the back of the courtroom. I hesitantly walked down the center aisle and into the jury box, making my way past six, empty seats, sitting in the last chair on the front row.

As the clerk continued to call out juror numbers, I glanced at the computer monitor mounted in front front of me. My eyes grew wide as I read the charges against the defendant.

Once all twelve jurors and two alternates had filed into the jury box, the judge swore us in and gave us our charge, including not speaking about the case, not even to each other, until it was time to deliberate on the verdict. (While I can talk about the case now, I'm going to spare you the details. It was that bad.)

While she hoped the trial wouldn’t last until then, she told us to be available through Friday of the following week. (Today.)

Over the weekend, I adjusted my schedule for the week ahead, canceling appointments and altering plans. My one commitment for the week, outside of trial, was to be very intentional about practicing self-care.

Each night, I made sure I got seven to eight hours of sleep.
I journaled or sought solitude during breaks.
I practiced deep, intentional breathing when the trial got intense.
I let myself cry when the weight of deciding a young man’s fate was too much to bear.
I practiced deep, intentional breathing when the trial got intense.

When I got home in the evenings, I relaxed like it was my job.

Despite the nature of the case, I enjoyed family time. I even laughed—hard. Tuesday evening, my family and I went out to a lovely dinner to celebrate my daughter’s 26th birthday.

After the daunting task of deciding a twenty-one-year old's punishment, the trial ended Wednesday afternoon. I was released of duty.

I spent yesterday and this morning reflecting and processing the trial, how it did and didn’t affect me, and the role my home life played in holding me up during these challenging circumstances.

I want to take a moment now to share some of these pertinent reflections with you.

There is a lot of good in the world. It can be easy, especially in our political and social climate, to view the world as troubled, chaotic, or even evil. I personally have struggled all my life with feeling like darkness always wins. But, someone pointed out to me that while the crime in the case may have been heinous, there were lawyers, twelve jurors, a judge, and other court officials all bringing light and healing to a dark situation. In other words, good outweighed bad. If we look for it, we’ll find good everywhere.
Your home life can make or break you. The defendant’s home life had a lot to do with the reason twelve jurors couldn’t see their way to release him to community supervision. It’s why prison is the best hope for rehabilitation for a twenty-one-year-old young man. On the other hand, I got to come home to a safe haven. I had the good fortune of being held, seen, and loved throughout the entire process. As I say in my book, your home is sacred. What happens inside those four walls matters---it matters a lot.
You can change your life. I’m living proof. You may have read in an email or on the blog that my marriage was once on its deathbed. I was beat down mentally and emotionally. Not just from my marriage, but from a series of traumatic events or adverse experiences over my lifetime. It hasn’t been easy to overcome, but it is possible.
Healing isn’t linear. Yes, I have built up a tool box for getting through life’s ups and downs, and it was pretty dadgum effective this week. That doesn’t mean I’ll never fall back on old, comfortable, coping skills. I have, and I will again. However, these days it’s easier to recognize, and I’m quicker to get back on track.

This experience ignited my passion for helping you create a safe, nurturing home. Whether I share home tours, talk about organizing, emphasize the importance of daily routines, or encourage authentic self expression, my ultimate goal is to inspire healing, hope, and change.

Features

So far this month we've talked about self-care and daily routines. I thought it was noteworthy that being a juror this week meant relying heavily on my self care practices and being able to adjust my daily routines, letting go of anything that wasn't absolutely necessary.

So, if you haven't read the related articles I've shared so far, I want you to do that now.

Uncovering The Truth About Self-Care

If the idea of self-care causes you to cringe, I want you to this article. It will help you reset your mindset around the topic.

Tell me more!

The Forgotten Art of Establishing Routines

Change happens one habit at a time. Routines are the backbone of building new habits. So, if there's a change you want to make in your life, let's set you up for success.

I'm ready!

I do have a new article I want to share with you as well.

Mental health and social media go hand in hand. In fact, it was the demise of the defendant.

But well before the trial, I had reached a place where social media was draining me. So, I found some workable ways to unplug from it.