Thread by @Gillianfc

And so Day 3 of my story of God at work in my life as part of #OfGodAndMe #ThisNunsStory series. Yesterday mention of the book, The Silver Sword seems to have struck a chord with many so perhaps its not out of place to mention that today 7th April is #Worldhealthday 1/20

Ian Serraillier ended his talks by showing this photo with the words, ‘No child should ever again have that expression on his face’. My hope this the UK as host of the upcoming #G7 summit will prioritise Universal health care for all. #UCH 2/20

So back to my story. Living at home again and my dream of religious life gone out the window I applied and got a place for September at Brighton College of Education to do a cert ed in biological science & primary education 3/20

I had 4 months to fill before then & got a job at Eagle Star Insurance HQ in Sutton in charge of the Green Cards for SE England (to prove you have insurance when driving abroad). It’s sad that with #Brexit we will once again have to have a Green card to drive in #Europe. 4/20

I started going out with a friend I had known for a while. We had a lot of fun including riding the Rotor at #Battersea fun fair where the floor dropped away & you were pinned to the walls like the clothes in a giant spin dryer. Life can seem rather a rotor at times! 5/20

I enjoyed the 9 -5 job, the camaraderie of the office & having some money to spend, but something was missing in my life so I was pleased when the time came to go to College. I finished with my friend as he was wanting a more serious relationship than I did 6/20

In the 1st year in #Brifhton I lived in a shared room in college digs with 25 other girls. I could write a book about this boarding house near the West pier. The one electric plug we could use was on a penny meter – Getting ready to go out took a lot of negotiation skills! 7/20

I meanwhile had found a #spiritual home at the Catholic student Chaplaincy, Howard House. As well as many shared social events with the Anglican chaplaincy Burns night, St Patrick’s day etc we had a good programme of preachers for the Sunday evening mass 8/20

Following a talk from Simon Tugwell OP we made visits to Spode House for life in the #Spirit seminars weekends. An ex Carthusian & I started a prayer group at the chaplaincy and I found great support from this. The chaplaincy had a good library & I read widely & freely. 9/20

I made lifelong friends through the Chaplaincy & we have been there for each other through good times and bad. In the 3rd year 4 of us shared a flat which my friend Anne called a ‘marriage preparation pad as at the end of the year the other 3 all got married. 10/20

She also said she missed me as I could keep her husband in order! It certainly was a good education in living with people at close quarters as the flat was not big and there had to be a lot of give & take especially over who was to drink out of the favourite cow mug 11/20

My spiritual life was deepening & broadening at the same time integrating with my social life. I remember being very excited by the psalm 85 words, ‘mercy and faithfulness have met. Justice and #peace have embraced’ 12/20

The other 3 in the flat were at Sussex University, I was the only member at the College. I loved my college course of #biology & primary education. I met some real characters (staff) on #teaching practice & learnt how to deal with those with MY Chair, MY mug etc syndrome 13/20

The biology deepened my love of nature as the head of department was a real ‘naturalist’.
We made field trips to @sussexwildlife #Woodsmill, Braunton burrows & Snowdonia & I rediscovered my interest in the natural world. My other #vocations were calling 14/20

I chose #Dance & Drama for my second subject & started exploring the world of free dance.The Scottish & Irish dancing we did at the Chaplaincy was an education too & I well remember the fun of some particular boisterous renderings of ‘The siege of Ennis’ (but not the steps) 15/20

At the end of the 3rd year, I carried on to do a B.Ed. degree as part of the University of Sussex. It was the time of Therapeutic communities, Carl Rodgers & Abraham Maslow. I chose to specialise in the education of people who deviate from the ‘norm’ 16/20

“Are there some people who have to be deviant in order to be congruent?” was the first question we were asked by Mr Brooks, our tutor who had previously run a therapeutic community for young people. #CarlRodgers’ ‘Unconditional positive regard’ resonated with me 17/20

As did Abraham Maslow’s hierarchy of needs & Peak experiences (transcendent moments of pure joy). This resonated with me. What if you had a religious community where the members had unconditional positive regard for each other? 18/20

On the biology degree I specialised in #microbiology. Concern for the environment was growing & the need for #healthcare. We studied #disease, #vaccines, #bacteria & #viruses For me it awakened an interest in #health care. Did I mention today is #Worldhealthday? 19/20

But things were a stirring & a longing was growing. Before graduating I got a job as a #teacher in the old Inner London Education Authority (ILEA) to work in Mile End in Tower Hamlets starting in May. But where to live? And that’s a question to be answered tomorrow 20/20

This was the photo which I didn't attach to the tweet #WorldHealthDay2021