Inspiration

Sometimes it's just great fun going for a drive in the countryside.

Most Tuesdays I spend the afternoon with a friend of mine whose wife suffers from myotonic dystrophy. This is a degenerative muscle condition and it has left her needing around the clock care. However, she still wants to retain some of her independence so she is living at home with my friend, her husband, as her 24/7 carer.

The only afternoons he gets off are Tuesdays and Fridays and because he has no social life due to his wife's condition, I make an effort to see him as much as I can. I admire his strength and commitment - it must be very hard watching the one person you love waste away in front of your eyes, particularly knowing that you can't do anything to stop the inevitable.

I met his wife for the first time today and it was a very moving experience. She is a fantastic lady whose acid sense of humour is keeping her going. I had heard a lot about her because my friend's life revolves around her but seeing the situation for the first time was an extremely moving experience.

His wife looks thirty years older than her true age of 48 and she needs to be constantly on oxygen as her lungs and diaphragm are too weak to respire. I had also been told stories of the things the couple got up to in happier times and this made the experience even more emotional. They have been married for nearly 30 years but the onset of the condition only occurred some six years ago and since then, I cannot begin to imagine how difficult things must have been for both of them.

Despite the sadness though, today I saw a glimpse of how the true human spirit can shine through as the wit and the love that the couple still share. I also realised that sometimes, it is the little things in life that are worth the most, particularly friendship.

Today the two of us drove to a local village to pick up some pies from the award winning local butcher there. It doesn't sound like a great deal but I know that my friend appreciated my company and also the opportunity to take a break for a couple of hours and relax.

As I say, he is one of the most inspirational people I have ever met and I cannot even begin to comprehend how difficult life must be for him. However, I also saw that through the most difficult times, the power of the human spirit can shine through.

Inspiration

Sometimes it's just great fun going for a drive in the countryside.

Most Tuesdays I spend the afternoon with a friend of mine whose wife suffers from myotonic dystrophy. This is a degenerative muscle condition and it has left her needing around the clock care. However, she still wants to retain some of her independence so she is living at home with my friend, her husband, as her 24/7 carer.

The only afternoons he gets off are Tuesdays and Fridays and because he has no social life due to his wife's condition, I make an effort to see him as much as I can. I admire his strength and commitment - it must be very hard watching the one person you love waste away in front of your eyes, particularly knowing that you can't do anything to stop the inevitable.

I met his wife for the first time today and it was a very moving experience. She is a fantastic lady whose acid sense of humour is keeping her going. I had heard a lot about her because my friend's life revolves around her but seeing the situation for the first time was an extremely moving experience.

His wife looks thirty years older than her true age of 48 and she needs to be constantly on oxygen as her lungs and diaphragm are too weak to respire. I had also been told stories of the things the couple got up to in happier times and this made the experience even more emotional. They have been married for nearly 30 years but the onset of the condition only occurred some six years ago and since then, I cannot begin to imagine how difficult things must have been for both of them.

Despite the sadness though, today I saw a glimpse of how the true human spirit can shine through as the wit and the love that the couple still share. I also realised that sometimes, it is the little things in life that are worth the most, particularly friendship.

Today the two of us drove to a local village to pick up some pies from the award winning local butcher there. It doesn't sound like a great deal but I know that my friend appreciated my company and also the opportunity to take a break for a couple of hours and relax.

As I say, he is one of the most inspirational people I have ever met and I cannot even begin to comprehend how difficult life must be for him. However, I also saw that through the most difficult times, the power of the human spirit can shine through.