A 90-year-old husband rides his bicycle each day, rain or shine, more than 10 miles in order to visit his wife who is in hospice.
Peter Burkhardt hops on his bicycle each day and rides to visit the love of his life who is living in hospice in Apeldoorn, The Netherlands.
“Cold doesn’t bother me and with rain, you can put on a rain jacket. If it’s really bad I’ll take a cab or else one of my sons will bring me. So I’ll always get to my wife,” Peter said.
When asked why he, at 90, makes such an effort each day, he explained that after being married for 63 years, that they always want to be together.
“I want to see my wife and be with her. We are married for 63 years, so then you want to be together,” he said.
It takes Peter around an hour each way, and he has been biking to visit his wife for more than seven years as she receives care for age related dementia.
“It takes me about an hour, but in the heavy wind for a little more than an hour,” he said. “I hope I can keep doing it. I walk a lot less now, but cycling is still going well. I have to take the situation as it is. I just want to be with her every day. I just can’t miss her. I did it by car for a while, but even then I alternated it with the bike.”
When asked if his wife knows what he does for her each day, he said;
“No, not that. It is completely outside her realm of experience. But when I’m back, I notice that she gives me a very nice hug every now and then.”
Their son, Wouter Burkhardt, shared how he thinks his dad’s devotion to his mom is what keeps her going each day.
“I think they keep each other alive with this,” their son said.
Peter shared that he loves his wife just as much now as he has for the past 63 years.
“I want to see her, hear her voice. When I enter the nursing home I immediately know where she is. She is no longer the same as she was, but I’m still in love with her.”
You are Loved.
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