“The ordinary seldom seems miraculous. The slow, steady circling of the hands on the clockface each time of day with its appointed task. To ask us if we love the daily round is like asking if we cherish breathing. We let our routines nourish us without a second thought. This is who we are, this is what is needed. This is what we do.”

Episode 5 had several storylines. 

There is a tragic carbon monoxide death of the Barrowman family members (father Ivan, mother, and daughter Suzanne). Their relative (Hilda) is angry. She felt if Dr. Turner had sent them to the hospital when he did his home visit for their food poisoning, they would still be alive. 

Unfortunately, it was not the food poisoning that caused their demise. 

Cyril and Rosalind return home from their weekend away, and Mrs. Wallace feels there has been a breach of behavior suitable for a pastor. Cyril suggests to Rosalind that they slow down, and Rosalind is not impressed. They make up, and his awkward proposal will be turned around for a better one — soon! 

The antenatal clinic site is moved, and the National Health Service appears unannounced to review charts. This feels alarming and premeditated with regard to interference and oversight. 

We have a couple, Ruth and Dilwar Khan, who are having their first child with a planned homebirth. Ruth is overwhelmed by the intensity of togetherness from Aisha. Aisha is her mother-in-law. 

Ruth’s mum abandoned her as a child, and due to this background, she is hesitant to engage deeply with her mother-in-law and pushes her away. Thankfully, Aisha is calm and watchful and averts a possible tragedy. She gets Ruth the immediate care she needs when she collapses. 

Sister Veronica is taking a six-week leave of absence as she tries to search her soul regarding a decision to leave the Order to pursue her dream of motherhood. Sister Monica Joan is not well. Dr. Turner suspects kidney failure. 

And, Sister Julienne realizes after a difficult and confrontational client that the nuns of Nonnatus House need to stay true to what their work entails — which are being missionaries. She knows that they will need to leave Poplar if the District does not honor their calling. 

As a modern-day midwife, I noted a common thread in the storylines. Trust was at the center of much of our episode. 

We had characters that wanted and needed to trust in their chosen path (following their vision, mission, and values). Dr. Turner realized he needed to give some space while trust felt breached and then reestablished within the healthcare partnerships. 

And even trust with Cyril and Rosalind's romantic liaison felt like a breach to Rosalind. 

They say that trust is the foundation of all relationships. Whether it is the year 1971 in Poplar or today, we need trust to feel safe, secure, and stable within interactions. We need trust for open, honest dialogue to be truly effective. 

Trust helps us to feel less stress, enhances communication and shared decision making, and builds stronger teams to do our work. Ultimately, we see better outcomes. 

So, how do we create it and what enables trust to flourish? In this era, it is not always easy, as much is questioned or there can be a mistrust in the medical or scientific field. 

Respect and dignity are at the base of the relationship to gain trust. We need to practice active listening by being truly present.

I find the providers on Call the Midwife display the traits that are needed in building strong connections. The nuns and nurses are attentive, patient, respectful, open-minded, and engaged in their community.

It is important to be invested in each other. A provider needs to listen and truly hear. What are the needs, feelings, and overall well-being?

Communication is so important, but it must be within a realm of mutual understanding and cooperation. It is essential to be patient-centered and interact without judgment.

Each individual comes with a background, and they come from a family and a community. We need to engage with respect for that entire circle. We need to show dignity to all. We need to continue to build bridges to try to build trust.

Sometimes you have to just keep moving forward.

As I watched the end of our episode, I took a deep breath. We see Sister Veronica as she takes steps in an unknown direction, but she holds tight to one thing she does know… she wants to be a mother.

At the same time, we see Sister Julienne take steps to post her letter. This action will set off a cascade of unknown actions; however, again, she holds tight to one thing she trusts — her mission will be her guiding direction.

“Some things bring joy, year after year, Summer after Summer. They have delighted us before, and they will again. We trust the tides and the rhythm of the seasons. The tilt of the sunflower’s face towards the sky. When the wind blows a little colder, do we even notice it? Or if we do, do we think it will not be for long? Because one day it may blow cold forever. But not yet. Not now. While miracles are ordinary, and still within our reach.”