As the “new member” at the 2011 AGM I was asked to write a something for the newsletter. I decided to share my thoughts that emerged as the day went by and the realisation of how far I have moved since the divorce. I left home full of the usual worries of catching the train, wondering if the children would be OK without me and anxious about going into a meeting of strangers.

So dealing with it in that order – the train journey was excellent and brought back memories of the many times that I travelled to London from Derby and then in later years from Yorkshire. I was enchanted by the changes at St Pancras and then the walk down Victoria St. It all felt so right to be out there in the sunshine pottering along.

The worries about the children were slightly alleviated by the text messages that all was well. There was no hint of sibling fighting or of either of them not being well. These are constant worries as the eldest has been seriously physically ill for just over a year and Saturday’s medication makes him feel dreadful. The youngest is damaged psychologically and there can be arguments between them, mind you, they are both teenagers so that also comes into the equation.  All was well upon my return.

The meeting was a delight. I felt at home immediately with everyone. We were united by the common bond despite different experiences of life. I felt comfortable being at a meeting of peers who were clearly supportive and determined to make things better.  The role of the clergy wife may seem to have changed over the decades, in that many of the older members had not been in paid work, yet the issues were the same. I felt a foot in all camps having worked throughout the marriage but also had a wide range of roles within the different parishes over those years.

After the meeting I took another wander and went over Westminster Bridge and had a cup of tea at St Thomas’ Hospital and drank it looking out onto the River Thames. During my training at St Thomas’   I would often sit and watch the river traffic and that gentle flow of life has not changed in all the intervening years. I am now beginning to reconnect with the “me” from all those years in and out of the marriage because another worry was that the day would remind me too much of the horrid bits of my life. The thoughts that came along on that day have sparked many very pleasant memories which have been with me ever since.  So thank you to Broken Rites.

Since then I have been to London again. I attended the Nightingale Fellowship meeting and met up with friends and former colleagues. Next year there is a clash of dates as the Broken Rites and Fellowship are on the same day. 2012 will be the 40th anniversary of my commencement of my training and so we will probably have a set reunion as well on that day.