The beginning

My voyage with sophrology started a little over a year ago. But in order to understand the context, I shall first introduce myself, and give a short introduction to my life.

I was born on the 21st March 1957, in a town called Thurso, in the North of Scotland. Due to my father's profession, we moved quite a lot, 4 times in 7 years. The plus side of that is that I am adaptable. The minus, a real unwillingness to get rid of things. I studied law at Edinburgh university, where I met my now ex husband. After my honours year I went to Italy to teach, and we got married in secret; I had been in a possibly fatal car accident, it was not obviously, but we were going at 130 kms an hour when we skidded. I studied European Community law for a 5th year in Amsterdam, then moved to London where my ex was working. He decided to become a management consultant, I moved back to Edinburgh, got a job and qualified as a solicitor. We had two children, he had a first affair, and I left my job as a solicitor to join his peripatetic life style, to try to save the marriage. 2 years later we settled in France. After 10 years and two more children he left me for another woman. I stayed in France, built up a career in teaching, and for the last 8 years have been in a long distance relationship with a wonderful man. Also born in 1957.

I have been doing the equivalent of two full time jobs for some years now, teaching English at a business school, and lecturing law at University. This is on top of bringing up 4 children on my own. Even when married my ex was usually away for the week, and sometimes only home one weekend in two, or worse. My home was not as organised as I would have liked, eclectic would be a very kind way to describe it, and my mind was not serene. I suffered a major breakdown leading to hospitalisation when the ex left. Even now my LO says that my mind moves too fast!

We decided to have a big 50th birthday party, a sort of public commitment; and that meant of course a present to each other. When he told me that his intended present would help me in the house, I did wonder if it might be a skip. But no, it was a weekend of "stress relief" a weekend of sophrology. What he said was really a declaration of love......he wants to grow old with me, not bury me!