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When you listen to SunnyJa-cobs speak, there is somethingabout her that pulls you in, rn-spires you and then leaves youwith the feeling of wanting togo out and do better.Listening to the story she istelling and experiencing herabsolute passion for 1ife, alongwith her fantastic 1augh, youleave knowing thatJacobs isone remarkable person. Onceyou get to know the storyI behind SunnyJacobs, the 17years she spent in prison for acrime she didn't commit, themore amazed you become ather lack ofbitterness.In 1976, SunnyJacobs andher partnerJesse Tafero were

sentenced to death for themurder of two police officers,a crime they didn't commit.Sunny spent the next fiveyears in solitary confinementon death ow, as at the timethere wasn't a female deathrow facility in the state ofFlorida.Spending her time in a cellthat was six steps lrom thedoor to the toilet long andonly wide enough that shecould touch both walls withher arms spread out and rock-ing slightly to each side, Ja-cobs turned to meditation andyoga, which she had learnedas a teenager, to help combatthe isolation. She also madea decision that was to inspireher way of thinking from thenon, that'they' didn't decidewhen she died, a higher powerdecided when; and until thattime, it was up to her to createwhat kind of world, withinthose four walls, she wouldlive in.

Jacobs describes how fromthat moment on she viewedthings differently, she smiledand thanked the officers whenthey brought her the food tray,

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A tale of inspirationlmagine being wrongfully accused of a crime and spending the next 17 years ofyour life paying for it, lt might sound like the stuff of fictional Hollywood films butis exactly what happened to Sunny Jacobs. Her story is an amazing tale of howthe human spirit can rise above even the most awful of situations. Heather Tuckerrecently spoke to Jacobs about her past and her positive outlook for the future,

Sunny Jacobsshe tore strips from a news-paper and weaved a toiiet seatcover; and she began to noticethe little pieces of humanity,such as the folded napkin thatappeared on her food tray oned"y.With meditation and yogaplaying such an important rolein her life, I asked Jacobs if shethought positive thinking andmeditation could help a per-son get through any situation,and if anyone could benefitor did they need to have aspecial personality type. Sheexplained that she believesthat "everyone has the abil-ity, we a1l have it, just somepeople are more easily able toaccess it. We can all sing, I cansing...you may not want tohear my singing, but we all cansing." However, " everyone hasto find it themselves, everyonehas to find their own way, butI think knowing that we allhave it within us can help. "Additionally, I asked herhow one couid keep posi-tive when they felt the whole

world was falling downaround them, and with hertrademark 1augh, she respond-ed, "I would say congratula-tions, you have arrived - theonly option is up." She alsoexplains that the deeper les-sons in life often come whenyou are at your lowest point."Everyone has a choice - youhave the choice to wallowand that's fine because thattyour choice, but you can alsochoose healing." She empha-sises that whatever choice youmake, the key is to make acommitment to that choice.Ilew beginningsWith a newyear oftencomes new and rekindledrelationships, something thatJacobs is all too familiar with.When she was arrested andimprisoned inl976, she hada lO-month-old daughter anda nine-year-o1d son. Through-out most of the 17 years shewas incarcerated, she sawthem for semi-regular visits,although this became signifi-cantly less frequent after thedeath ofher parents, who hadbeen caring for the children.It is when talking abouthow she managed to re-bondwith the children after sucha long time apart, that onesees the extreme pain that shehas gone through; and Sunnyherself describes the situationof missing out on those yearswith her children as beingone of the worst things. "Ihad to put aside any expecta-tions that I had and acceptwhat was given. We had toIook at and resolve issues, butwe have now, what I would

say is a'healthy' relationship.Although who knows whatmight have been and that isone of the hard parts."So what NewYear's resolu-tions doesJacobs have forherself ? Not against resolu-tions, she prefers instead tospend some specific time eachyear letting go ofresentments,offering forgiveness to others,Backgrou ndIn r926, at the age of 28, Sonia"Sunny" Jacobs and her partnerJesse Tafero were wrongfullysentenced to death by Floridacourts for the murder of twopolice offers. She was releasedfrom prison in t992. Sadly, it wastwo years too late for her partner,who died at the hands of theState in a horrible execution thatwent wrong and caused outrageamongst the world population.Sunny left prison a widow, an or-phan (her parents died in a planecrash while she was in prison) andthe mother of two children whowere 17 years older than when shewent to prison. She is now a freewoman who lives in lreland withher partner Peter Pringle. Sheteaches yoga and tours the worldraising awareness about the deathpenalty.

[orgiveness to herself and set-ting the goal'to do betterlJacobs' enthusiasm for lifeand feeling ofgratitude is aninspiration. Her life is one ofmaking choices and making

a commitment, the commit-ment to gratitude, enthusiasm,humour and the choice oftaking the chance to makeeach day a beautiful day. Asshe says: "Things that chal-lenge us, make us grow andthen with the results of thosechallenges we do the best wecan do. Make the most of yourjourney - itt al1 about howyou live it."Sunny facobs' llaily RenewalEach morning be thankful that you got another day.Do something as best you can to make the world a little bit better.Do something you enjoy.

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