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As we embark on a new year I feel blessed to have spent time with my cousin Fran Kane, a Sister of St. Joseph for the past 70 years. I hope this conversation will inspire you as you embark on a new year.

Fran speaks of growing up in Philadelphia in the 1940s, a consummate tomboy who loved sport and would run away from the nuns who wanted her to settle down. Two early events shaped her relationship with God profoundly. Once when she was playing at the feet at her (very pregnant) resting Mother with a stick and a marble, and the cuckoo clock went off. She recalls being struck by the beauty of the stillness and the silence in that moment. Later on in High school she went fishing with a cousin, who was a baker, in the middle of the night and a similar stillness took over. She says in that quiet she heard God.

Fran’s life then took her into a life of service through the church. The mission of the Sisters of St. Joseph has been (since its founding in 1650 Puy France) to do ‘any good work that our dear neighbours need’. In the early days this was to help the widows and the poor of France. This quickly moved into education. This small group of committed women, like many of our religious orders are part of our legacy of universal education, without which many children, families and communities would have stayed illiterate and poor.

Fran’s vocation started in schools and then continued onto a mission in Panama where she taught farming methods to the poor, so that they could feed themselves and their families. She continues working today serving the less able sisters at the Motherhouse in Chestnut Hill. She remains a light of service in God’s grace.

‘Things happen in silence Kate, it is God’s chance to speak to us’. It is worth noting in the busy-ness of life, of our culture of stimulation we might miss this opportunity.

I hope we can all see the beauty that God has provided to us in 2025.

Thank you Fran for your time and insight.

Thanks to my nephew Owen who came along to do a video recording which I will be releasing later on in the year.

More info on the Sisters of St. Joseph can be found here: https://ssjphila.org/

The Film of Mother Cabrini (as referenced): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZaMlUazXvyY

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Maggie Mellon social worker of 40+ years discusses the many failings of the Scottish Care System. From the perpetuation of abuse cycles to the trans-positive policy to the for-profit motives of the managers and owners our most vulnerable children are being failed.


More Info on Maggie here:

Maggie Mellon Website: https://maggiemellon.com/

Parents Advocacy and Rights: https://www.parentsadvocacyandrights.com/

EBSA-Evidence Based Social Work Alliance: https://www.ebswa.org/

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Thanks for reading and thanks to current subscribers! Subscriptions allow me to continue to spend time reporting on what is happening here in Scotland and how it connects to bigger issues. My writing and podcast work is alongside my advocacy in working directly with parents. As this is entirely reader-supported, with no paywalls your support is what keeps things going. If you enjoyed this post, and would like to see more, please consider…

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Have a Pink Elephant you'd like to discuss? Get in touch! deemingdreaming@gmail.com

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In today’s podcast I speak to Carolyn Brown, retired Educational Psychologist with over 40 years experience of working in the Scottish Education sector. Carolyn is also one of the founders and members of Scot Pag - Scottish Professionals Advising on gender - a multi agency group of professionals from health, social work and medicine addressing issues related to what is happening in the present modes of understanding and treatment of the idea of trans/gender dysmorphia.

Whilst much of our conversation focuses around the hot mess that is Scottish Government’s Transgender Guidance, the trans topic points to a much larger issue of the need to look at the culture of schools. What is good for children? How do children learn? What does a good model of inclusivity look like? How is it we get adult agendas out of education? How do we support the curiosity and natural evolution of experimentation that children embody?

***THANK YOU for listening, and special thanks to current paid subscribers*** - if you think what I do is valuable please consider becoming a substack supporter for £4 per month, £30 per year or £250 founding membership allow me to continue to spend the time researching and reporting on these important issues.
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**Links to articles referenced:

Scot Pag Website: https://www.scotpag.com/

Scot Pag X: @scotpag

Social Transition and Junk Science: https://www.scotpag.com/post/social-transition-and-junk-science

Genspect Scottish Educational Psychologists and Gender Ideology in Scottish Schools A Conspiracy of Silence: https://genspect.org/scottish-educational-psychologists-and-gender-ideology-in-scotlands-schools-a-conspiracy-of-silence/

Scottish Union for Education: https://scottishunionforeducation.substack.com/

Read More on my Substack: https://deemingdreaming.substack.com/

Have a Pink Elephant you'd like to discuss? Get in touch! deemingdreaming@gmail.com