You thought that monastic life would be for you, but now you are not so sure. God calls loudly to you, but perhaps the abbey is keeping you from Him?

Your family was the wealthiest in your Lincolnshire town. Your father sold wool to the Low Countries (at least in times of peace) and your mother brought a substantial dowry of her own. You grew up very comfortably, always wearing fine gowns and eating the best food. When you were very young, you thought everyone else in the world led the same life, and that all was comfort and happiness under God. Age taught you better. 

The townsfolk around you made their money at sea - sailing out down the river from town to bring back fish to feed themselves and trade inland. But as you were growing up, the river channel slowly silted up until ships could no longer put out. This mattered little to your father - a small drop in profits as he shipped his wool further down the coast - but to the poorer folk in town it was death. People grew destitute, families turned to begging, and then the sweating sickness came to town and carried off the weak and suffering. Your family of course was untouched.