Volume XIII, Issue II
March/April 1999

A close friend of mine from law school called me from out of the blue the other day. She confided that she was leaving the practice of law because seasons had been changing and she had not seen them. She was in trial as the autumn colors came and went. She covered deposition after deposition for her vacationing partners while she maintained her 2,100 minimum billable hours. When she looked up, summer had passed. A few late nights here, a Saturday afternoon there, and there went the beauty of the spring flowers and the unfolding of fresh green foliage. All had been missed.

In a time when hard work and long hours are basic requirements for survival, it is hard to do anything but law, or be anything but a lawyer. Yet, our calendars should not have to reflect, for example, that on Thursday night at 5:30 that you must "Be a mom" or "Spend time with your spouse and tell her you love her." Yet, in times past, my computer calendar has been known to flash "GO HOME" thanks to my wife's intervention.

My friend's solution was to leave law, even though there were parts of the practice she loved. She had lost her balance and her time.

How to "find" time is the age old question. "Making" time is the frequently heard solution. Personally, I don't buy the whole concept.

Life needs mixing, not subdividing. You don't eat lettuce, then swallow a mouth full of oil, and then drizzle some vinegar on your tongue. Life is to be blended, tossed and savored at any point, anytime. Life tastes better when its stirred, simmered and seasoned. Tape-record a joke to your secretary right in the middle of the pleading you are dictating. Take your wife or husband roses at lunch, in the middle of your jury trial. Take a bite out of a peach, making absolutely sure that the juice stains the deposition your reading (the second reading is more fun if its full of enjoyable reminders). Take your little girl to work for the morning. In my life, it's important that I take the whole family, dog and all, to work every day.

There should not have to be trips that are "business and pleasure." Banish the concept of division. Find your balance; proportion your sugar and lemon juice. Sing in the office and practice your opening in the shower.

If you have doubts, watch Ally McBeal. They run a law office, and look what they get do.

It is this whole concept of living a well balanced and healthy life that we should strive to obtain. For those of you who are like my friend from law school, and those who just aren't as happy as you would like to be in your life or practice, we have created the eclectic mix of events that pull together friends, family, the practice of law, personal health, good food, exercise, scenic beauty and a "rustic" luxury vacation hotel (and golf course). Life's events should be paired like fruit and cheese, white wine and seafood, and sunny walks and fresh cut grass. We have attempted to add to this list.

At this year's WYLD Regional Joint Midyear Conference (and family wellness celebration) at the Skamania Lodge, you will be able to enjoy massages while overlooking the mighty Columbia River and attend a CLE entitled "Sharing the Farvergnugen" (1. "far" to make or to have, and 2. "vergnugen" amuse, delight, enjoy). We'll teach you how to manage your caseload and your boss, and afterward your family can team up for a croquet or softball tournament before our old-fashioned outdoor BBQ dinner.

How about this pairing: where else can you participate in a program that teaches you how to set realistic health goals followed by a program that teaches you how to manage your student loans effectively. Smaller loans and better health; that's what life is about.

This spa weekend will give you the chance to hear Supreme Court Justice Richard Sanders give advice over lunch and afterward, you can hike over the famed and fabled Multnomah falls. Learn how to be a rainmaker and marketer, and then join friends for a champagne and dessert reception. We'll have guided tours through the woods and guided tours through a museum. We will present an interactive roundtable CLE with panels of judges, bar leaders, and practitioners and then serve you a fabulous lunch with Christine Gregiore.

For $75 you own a ticket for a weekend of events for you, your spouse, your family, and for a blueprint for a more balanced life. All events are open to spouses and family members, and most of them are free for your family (see the brochure for specifics).

If your life is subdivided, the seasons are passing you by, and you find yourself "making" time to do what should already be part of your day, come to Skamania.

Enjoy life. Do it all. Mix it up.

Patrick Palace practices in Tacoma at the Law Offices of Patrick A. Palace. He is the President of the Washington Young Lawyers Division.

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