Carers - A Chance Meeting

By Georgine Murphy

The following article appeared in a pamphlet published in the United Kingdom by an organisation called "Christies Care," which employs people to care for the elderly and infirm. Georgine Murphy, a member of the Cape Town North church, South Africa, tells this interesting story:

"Working in Stowmarket, I was looking forward to telling the next Carer, Diane Daniels, what a nice position she had in looking after the client there. Knowing that Diane was from South Africa, but like myself, had left the UK over 35 years ago, I knew that we would have a lot in common, but our meeting left me feeling shocked but happy when I began to realise just how much we had in common.

After showing Diane the client's house and the routine, we started talking about our respective families. I asked Diane whereabouts in London she had lived years ago. What a surprise when she told me Stoke Newington, because this is the tiny borough where I too had lived. We looked at each other more closely, and slowly we both recognised one another from our Girl Guide and school days. We had gone to Scotland with the guides on an unforgettable trip. We still have the photos and Diane hadn't changed - still lovely and slim today as she was then. We had so much to say to one another but I had a train to catch, so we exchanged telephone numbers and promised to keep in touch. As I was leaving I asked Diane if she knew my son's girlfriend, Louise Cherrington, whereby Diane answered that not only did she know Louise, but that her son Richard had dated Louise's sister Janine, and that the family lived quite close to her family in Port Elizabeth. What a coincidence, and what a small world! If we had not been working for Christies Care, I don't think our paths would have crossed, and I am extremely happy that they did."