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Every morning, when I open our gate, I see it — Aurora Special Care Centre, directly across the street. A place of dignity and safety. The place we have dreamed of for our children. We are both in our 74th year. For 46 years, Anke and Markus have been our life — profoundly disabled, wholly beloved, entirely dependent on us. We have moved through these decades giving them the best opportunities and resources we could find. We have surrendered retirement, holidays, ordinary c

Dear Pastor, long time. Thank you for thinking of me and for asking how I am coping. Honestly, it means more than you know, it got me thinking. To answer you plainly — I am tired. Deeply tired. At almost 74, caring for my two adult disabled children day after day, I feel mostly alone. Isolated. Like a modern-day Biblical leper family. That image may sound dramatic, but it is the most accurate one I have found for what this life feels like. And I have been thinking a

I have quietly, over time, mastered the art of hiding in plain sight — wearing my all is well mask, or simply staying away. I sometimes wonder: do the people who love me notice me disappearing inside myself? Do they know the not-so-great, stay-away days? Does it hurt them to watch and not quite know how to reach me? Maybe letting them fully in isn't weakness. Maybe it's the kindest thing I can do — for them, and for myself. But in my quieter, less generous moments, I wonder w

Coldplay - Yellow (Official Video)

Eers Wouter. Toe Nina, en amper-amper Leona. Toe jy. Toe jy. Toe jy. Een jaar gelede, laat Oktobermaand, het jy ons verlaat. Dit het begin met vroeë waarskuwings – 'n pynlike rug. Ons het saam met jou asem opgehou en gebid vir iets eenvoudigs, iets regmaakbaar. Tuberkulose, miskien. Iets geneesbaar, asseblief tog, Here. Toe kom die woorde soos hamerhoue: Kanker. Pankreas. Stadium 4. Geen omdraai. Geen omdraai. Geen omdraai. Ons het gehuil, maar gekies wat ons

As we Christians know, the Lord's greater earthly plan for us as humans is to be bearers of His banner, to bring and shine His light wherever we find ourselves, but especially so in our inner circle, where our children's children await us with unconditional wide-eyed love, so that we can walk a path together with them in His love and grace (of course, I speak of those of us who are blessed with grandchildren). What a heavenly privilege! My wife and I have been married for 4

Many of us are quick to offer help to others but struggle when it comes to asking for help ourselves. Why is that? As Christians, we are...

It's understandable and completely realistic to have significant fears about old age when you are caring for adult disabled children and your wife has a heart condition.

I feel your life, your significance, your purpose. I become happiness, I become healed. I understand my purpose... you are my gift...

The challenges parents experience in opening bank accounts for their disabled children (the preferred safe option as opposed to finding a safe ATM every month to withdraw grants), highlight a significant gap in the banking system, as my children cannot go into a bank to open their own bank accounts.

Caring for two profoundly disabled children can be emotionally and physically draining. You experience ongoing grief over the loss of the life your children will never have, the life you envisioned for your children is long gone.

Caring for two profoundly disabled adult children at age seventy-two: ChatGPT's take The sadness of being a 72-year-old father of two...

My severely disabled beautiful children, nonverbal with sensory issues and no self-care. It is tough. Some days I feel only like a personal care attendant of two strangers who cannot walk or talk, two people I happen to love so very much that it sometimes hurts.

I am realising more and more that the past forty plus of my sixty-eight years on earth has passed with me pausing life in more than one way, holding my breath… holding my breath ... I have a new quiet hope inside my spirit.

Mitochondrial diseases are chronic (long-term), genetic, disorders that occur when mitochondria fail to produce enough energy for the body to function properly. Mitochondrial diseases can be present at birth but can also occur at any age.

In my head I am still a young dad, because Anke and Markus will forever be infants. In my psyche, my life got parked at age 32 on a sunny afternoon near Tarlton by the side of the tar road under a cluster of dusty blue-gum trees.

hold, longing, careful, fulfilled in love, in awe, joy, perfect expectation

Our trench is our children. Our war is not against them – it is for them. Both in their thirties and severely disabled. We must do everything for them. It's a war of a different kind. Physically, mentally, financially – it's one of those wars you don’t even fully understand yourself. How can you expect others to understand it? But it’s a war nonetheless. A bitter, lonely war.

I did lay low this birthday, did not feel like celebrating... and found this Lauren Daigle song called Rescue

I've always wanted to 'take' Anke and Markus 'back' into my body - a tattoo was the only possible taking them back thing I could think of - I am happy with the end result. It was a 'healing' experience.