Friday, October 14, 2011

Preparing for the vote!

Well today is exactly three months until my husband reaches his parole eligibility date or PED as some call it. So, what exactly does this mean? This is the earliest day that my husband could be released to come home and serve the remainder of his sentence in the community and that is a day I have been praying for, for the last 435 days.

The vote can only go one of two ways. Yes or No. So, how do you prepare for no vote? Better yet, how do you prepare for a yes vote? Either way, you've got to get your mind right about both possibilities. A no vote means, you dig a little deeper in your strength stores and square up for another year without him. A yes vote means the sky's the limit and after a possible total of 526 long days you will finally be together the way you were always meant to be.

Preparing for a parole vote is no easy task. The first thing that you need to do is decide whether you want to hire a parole attorney or go it alone and prepare a parole packet yourself. I opted for the attorney. For me, hiring a parole attorney was a choice that was very easy for me to make and not because I felt that my husband would stand no chance without one but simply because I could not be my husband's voice to parole the way an attorney could and after countless hours of research, I decided on, what I feel, is the best choice for my husband.

My husband entrusted this decision to me and believe me it was not one that I took lightly by any means. I researched parole attorneys in Texas for weeks and when I found one I liked, I read everything I could find on him. I reviewed his website thoroughly, checked him out on the Texas State Bar and reviewed dozens and dozens of independent testimonials not connected to his website. In short, I left no stone unturned when it came to deciding who would be the man that I would entrust with my husband's future and ultimately his life.

Once I decided on an attorney, it was very important that my husband meet him and while the final decision was mine, I am glad that they met and that my husband liked him. Then the real work began. The process of putting together a parole packet is quite daunting but it is a very necessary step in the process. Letters of support, photos, educational background, work history and plans for parole are all crucial information that must be provided to the parole attorney in short order. Some may think that gathering all of this information is the hardest part in this whole process. To me, the hardest part is trusting your husband's fate to a man you've never met and at some point, resigning yourself to the fact that you have done all you can for the man you love.

I have faith in the efforts and choices that I have made and I have faith in the parole attorney that I have hired but I cannot help but be in awe of my husband's commitment, resolve and dedication to his family and to himself and for that I will be forever proud. My faith in him is unwavering and my love for him is eternal and for that I will always be grateful.

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