It’s true. It’s 11:21 a.m., and the jury is actually out.

It is my son’s first trial. Closing arguments were yesterday. The jury has been deliberating since yesterday at 10 a.m. At any time, I should get a phone call from my son. It’s all very exciting.

The good news: It is a WIN-WIN situation. If he wins the case, it is an obvious victory. If he does not win, it is still a victory because my son is a winner. He is clearly above the fray. He is honest, sincere and very talented.

In fact, I am blessed because each of my three children is honest, sincere and very talented. Whatever decisions come their way, it is a WIN-WIN situation for them. Everything works out for the best.

Some believe that while we are alive on earth, the jury is out. They believe that our judgment comes at life’s end, when the jury finally decides how we lived.

I like to believe that more important than some “final” decision about how we lived our entire lives, is how we live each minute, interacting with others, and in our own space. The jury is deciding all the time, I believe, about how we conduct ourselves minute-to-minute. If we believe in a higher power, or a “force” for good, we might be aware that that “force” knows what we are doing and thinking. That “force” is like a jury. The “force jury” is arguing the decision as to whether what we are doing is “appropriate,” and it then makes an immediate decision, which is made clear in our minds. We, then, have the opportunity to modify our behavior, or to ignore the “force jury’s” decision.

Is the “force jury” our conscience? Is it God? Who knows?

While the jury is out, do we need stress about it? Perhaps, if we can say to ourselves, “I did the best I could,” and/or “I behaved as well as I could,” and/or “I loved as fully as I could,” that would allow us to relax and wait for the final decision.

No phone call yet. I’ll just relax, knowing that my son is a true winner.

Mr. Ebsen may be contacted at Robertebsen@hotmail.com