I got summoned today to jury duty. ON WEDNESDAY! What? I mean, shouldn't they give you like a week's notice or something? They just called me last year, and I was excused. Granted I was nursing at the time I was called, but they gave me a month's notice, so I could actually return the letter to them, and receive a letter from them telling me I was excused. So, today I called and the woman said if he excused me once, then I wouldn't be eligible to be excused again. Um, pretty sure the circumstances are exactly the same this year as they were last year, except I'm not nursing twice a day. We have no caregivers for my kids during the day, except me. Why are they not calling Dusty?!? I mean, he could legitimately get out of work, with an excused day off, and go serve. Not me. There's no excuse for me being away from my kids. I called them again, and got someone that told me that I needed to send a letter for the judge to review. Isn't Wednesday a whole 2 business days away from now? I know the judge won't be in tomorrow, so Monday he'd review it, and they'd...what, send me a letter back? I decided to hand deliver the letter asking to be excused. (Mind you, as soon as I hung up the phone the first time when she told me that I couldn't be excused, I burst into tears.) I got Hannah out of bed before she was ready, and delivered the letter there before 4 because I guess they leave at 4 on Fridays. She said I should get a call on Monday, but it may be as late as Tuesday before they notify me. Short notice much? It's just infuriating to me that they summoned me for five days from now. FIVE DAYS!! Ridiculous. If I go on Wednesday, there's no doubt in my mind that I'll be picked because they obviously need more people to serve, or they wouldn't be sending out letters this late. I SOOOOO want to take my kids with me on Wednesday and just say, "Sorry, I couldn't get anyone to watch them today." Truth be told, if I called, like I'd have to do, after 5:30 some night and they told me I was to report the next day for jury duty, I might have to bring my kids. I may not have a choice. Of course, I could leave them watching a movie in the car all day, but I'm pretty sure that would be frowned upon. I've heard so many mixed things about whether or not they'll excuse me. A lot of people online say that being a stay-at-home mom is a valid excuse, but someone told me today that she has actually heard mothers around here say that they were not excused just because they had kids at home. When my kids are older, I'll be glad to serve and fulfill my civic duty. Now? Please just let me stay at home with my kids. I will be completely unable to focus on the necessary stuff if there's the slightest chance my kids are anxious or strained or upset. Call me spoiled, but I just see myself as being a good caretaker. I want to be with my kids and not depend on others to drop everything to watch them while I'm on the jury. I'm just praying that God will allow me to be excused. OK, so maybe I'm praying that His will is done, but I'm praying that His will is that I get excused.
Tricia's here. :) I'm glad she made it. About 2 1/2 minutes after she got here last night, the bottom dropped out and there was torrential rain. She made it JUST before the huge red line got to us. She has been wonderful playing with my kids and reading to them. They love her so much. I do too. :)
Seth has been dry and clean in underwear for two days! I'm so proud of him! He wears a pull-up at night, and has for the last two days during naps, but he doesn't need them then. He has been dry after naps for these two days too. He was VERY resistant yesterday after he'd had on his underwear for a few minutes. I think it scared him that he'd have to be so in control of himself. Then he realized he had already been in control, and just went with it. He has done a great job. :)
OK, I'm going to go to bed now, so maybe I can get in bed by 11...yeah right. Hopefully it'll be soon though. All this emotional stuff with jury duty has really worn me out today. I know to some people it would sound so stupid and trivial, but to me, it's terribly emotional and important. I've never been away from my kids for more than 4 hours, except when I had Seth and was in the hospital and Hannah was at home. Being gone all day would be so hard for me, and I don't know how it would affect them, and I don't WANT to know right now. Give them a few more years. Give me a few more years.
The more I think about it, the more this jury duty thing seems....suspiciously providential. Maybe this is an opportunity to force you to get outside your caretaker comfort zone and let someone else care for your kids. You have some awesome people in your life who will take great care of them!
ReplyDeleteAnd even if the best happens and you don't have to serve, this is an opportunity for you to think and work through emotions and all that jazz. Don't just get angry--let yourself grow a little from it!
Yeah, I'm being stupidly optimistic about this, but hey, why not?
Trisha has a good point. Although you would be uncomfortable away from your kids, at some point you will have to set them free. This will come in maybe 18 years or so, but it is not wise even when they are young to focus your life on them to the exclusion of other normal activities and duties. You need a life too. They will survive, and it will be healthy for them to develop some independence.
ReplyDeleteHaving said that, I personally think you should be excused from jury duty because you do have kids at home that are dependent on you. There are plenty of folks who have less responsibility (but plenty with more as well) that can be on jury duty without causing all the anxiety and worrying that you will have. Surely the judge will be understanding, especially if you've expressed yourself well in your letter to him, and I know how well you can write!