COLUMN
BY HUNTER M. ABELL
Note: This article mentions suicide. The Suicide & Crisis Lifeline can be reached 24/7 by calling or texting 988.
A desperate man staggers out onto a bridge on Christmas Eve. Falling snow billows around him. He looks at the raging river below. With the prospect of disgrace and ruin before him, he leans forward, preparing to jump.
The scene is from It’s A Wonderful Life. The desperate man is George Bailey, who just lost $8,000 of his company’s money. That’s nearly $100,000 in today’s currency.11 Bruce Steele, “How Much Money Did Uncle Billy Lose in ‘It’s A Wonderful Life’?” The Citizen Times (Dec. 21, 2017), www.citizen-times.com/story/entertainment/movies/2017/12/21/how-much-moneydid-uncle-billy-lose-its-wonderfullife/972756001/. He sees no options going forward.
Much of It’s A Wonderful Life is light and breezy.22 Some of you may know that It’s A Wonderful Life is among my favorite movies. I compared Spokane attorney Ryan McNeice to George Bailey in a blog post earlier this year. See “The Richest Man in Town,” NWSidebar, May 1, 2023 https://nwsidebar.wsba.org/2023/05/01/the-richest-man-intown/. Like real life, however, George Bailey experiences moments of desperation and fear. I’ll return to the movie in a moment.
As many of you know, I am dedicating this year of service to building the public’s trust and confidence in our Washington legal profession. In last month’s Bar News, I wrote about the need to communicate with the public about real-life heroes in our profession—people, from history and today, who ennoble our profession and help build a free and just society.
That is an important message. At the same time, we can also recognize that many of us feel like anything but heroes.
We are well into the holiday season. For many in our profession, this is a time of warmth, joy, and quality time with family. For others, however, the holidays are extremely difficult. According to the American Psychological Association, 38 percent of people surveyed said their stress increased during the holiday season, potentially leading to physical illness, depression, anxiety, and substance misuse. The reasons given include lack of time, financial pressure, gift-giving, and family gatherings.33 Mass General Brigham McLean Hospital, McLean’s Guide to Managing Mental Health Around the Holidays, www.mcleanhospital.org/essential/mcleansguide-managing-mental-healtharound-holidays#:~:text=According%20to%20the%20American%20Psychological,%2Dgiving%2C%20and%20family%20gatherings.
For some, this year’s holiday season may be even more stressful than usual. It may come at a time of intense personal or professional pain, loss, or failure. Like George Bailey on the bridge, some of us may be at very low points.
I know the feeling. I attended an event last spring where a Vice Admiral in the U.S. Navy admitted to the audience that he was going through a divorce, and he was not OK. I was shocked. Senior military officers rarely admit to trouble at home. I will take courage from his example: I went through a divorce several years ago. I was not OK. While never to the point of George Bailey on the bridge, it took a lot for me to hold on to being the best dad and attorney I could be, and I am grateful to my family, friends, church, and law firm for their support during a difficult time.
Several years later, things look better. I reflected on that low point when the WSBA Board of Governors adopted “member well-being” as one of the organization’s top priorities for 2023-2024 at our November meeting held at the University of Washington School of Law.44 I am thankful to Dean Tamara F. Lawson and the University of Washington School of Law for hosting our two-day meeting on campus. This was a first for the WSBA Board of Governors and a wonderful opportunity to interact with law students. This priority recognizes that it is difficult to be a licensed legal professional in 2023, and that our profession struggles with high rates of substance use issues, burnout, and stress.
I want to speak directly to our members going through difficult times: You are not alone.
The WSBA is here for you.The WSBA Member Wellness Program is a free and confidential benefit available to help you address concerns about depression, stress, or anxiety. If you are struggling in these areas, I highly encourage you to call 206-727-8268, schedule an appointment, or email wellness@wsba.org. In addition, if you or someone you know is having thoughts of suicide, you can always call or text 988 to reach the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline (press 1 to reach the Veterans Crisis Line). Alternatively, call a friend, a counselor, a religious advisor, or someone you trust.
As I go about the process of trying to build the public’s trust and confidence in our Washington legal profession, I take strength in knowing that our profession encourages and supports our members in times of crisis. While we highlight our heroic lawyers, the WSBA also recognizes that lawyers are human and struggle with all the trials and tribulations of humanity. Doing so is not a sign of institutional weakness. Instead, it is a sign of a healthy legal profession that genuinely cares about its members. The fact that the WSBA supports our members during times of crisis is yet another reason for increased public confidence and trust in our profession.
It’s A Wonderful Life concludes with George Bailey receiving a book from his guardian angel, Clarence Odbody, AS2 (Angel Second Class).55 Perhaps not coincidentally, the U.S. Navy also has an AS2 rate/rank for enlisted Aviation Support Equipment Technician Second Class. I may be biased, but I am not the least bit surprised that angels apparently utilize U.S. Navy ranks. The book is inscribed: “Dear George: Remember no man is a failure who has friends.” To some, that ending may seem saccharine. For others, however, it may be just the reminder they need during this holiday season.
To that, I will add: No Washington legal professional is alone. Especially at the low points.
Happy holidays.
NOTE: The views expressed are those of the author and do not reflect the official policy or position of the U.S. Navy or the Department of Defense.
About the author
Hunter Abell is a civil practitioner with the Spokane office of Williams Kastner. He can be reached at:
NOTES
1. Bruce Steele, “How Much Money Did Uncle Billy Lose in ‘It’s A Wonderful Life’?” The Citizen Times (Dec. 21, 2017), www.citizen-times.com/story/entertainment/movies/2017/12/21/how-much-moneydid-uncle-billy-lose-its-wonderfullife/972756001/.
2. Some of you may know that It’s A Wonderful Life is among my favorite movies. I compared Spokane attorney Ryan McNeice to George Bailey in a blog post earlier this year. See “The Richest Man in Town,” NWSidebar, May 1, 2023 https://nwsidebar.wsba.org/2023/05/01/the-richest-man-intown/.
3. Mass General Brigham McLean Hospital, McLean’s Guide to Managing Mental Health Around the Holidays, www.mcleanhospital.org/essential/mcleansguide-managing-mental-healtharound-holidays#:~:text=According%20to%20the%20American%20Psychological,%2Dgiving%2C%20and%20family%20gatherings.
4. I am thankful to Dean Tamara F. Lawson and the University of Washington School of Law for hosting our two-day meeting on campus. This was a first for the WSBA Board of Governors and a wonderful opportunity to interact with law students.
5. Perhaps not coincidentally, the U.S. Navy also has an AS2 rate/rank for enlisted Aviation Support Equipment Technician Second Class. I may be biased, but I am not the least bit surprised that angels apparently utilize U.S. Navy ranks.