How I Found Christian Science October 28, 2013 Issue

A deeper kind of study

Martha Olson

I was a university student, sitting on the back of a Cadillac convertible, when I first saw the words Christian Science.

I was waiting for our homecoming parade to begin and I noticed attractive books and chairs through the windows of a Christian Science Reading Room. I didn’t inquire about it; however, the words Christian Science kept popping up when later on I used The Christian Science Monitor to help research a topic I was focusing on for my degree. My only other connection to Christian Science during college was through a friend of my mother’s, and while I did not spend much time with her, I was impressed with her calmness and joy. 

A decade later, I found myself struggling with many problems, and a serious concern for my true purpose in life. I had been told by an optometrist that there was a high level of pressure in my eyes, a trait associated with glaucoma, and that I would need to use eye drops for the rest of my life. My husband was rarely home, staying out all hours of the night. My employer was behaving harshly toward everyone she supervised. And my mother, who lived in another state, had a drinking problem, so I could not confide in her. I felt hopeless and alone.