"When I enter the nursing home I immediately know where she is. She is no longer the same as she was,” he said. “But I'm still in love with her.”
True love not only stands the test of time but also the test of difficult circumstances. Peter Burkhardt, a 90-year-old man from the Netherlands, is not letting anything stop him from seeing his wife of 63 years who now lives in a hospice in Apeldoorn. Every day, he travels 10.5 miles (17 kilometers) riding his bicycle, to see her. It takes the 90-year-old an hour to get there and an hour to cycle back home, per My Modern Met. Sometimes it takes a while longer when the winds are too intense. "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 and else one of my sons will bring me. So I’ll always get to my wife," said Burkhardt in an interview, according to the outlet.
90-Year-Old Man Travels 10.5 Miles by Bike Every Day to Visit His Wife in Hospice https://t.co/JqLWzRuTjU
— voyage vixen (she/her) (@voyagevixen) February 12, 2023
The nonagenarian has been traveling to his wife's hospice for the past seven years. “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.” Burkhardt understands that he is getting older and that there were many things that he could do 5-6 years ago but now he can't, but his determination helps him push through. And his undying love for his wife even more so. “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”, Burkhardt said. “But I'm still in love with her.”
90 year old man drives his bicycle 2 hours everyday to visit his wife in the hospice.@RADiPilla #lifelessons
— Richard DiPilla (@RADiPilla) January 19, 2023
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When he was asked if his wife knows what he does for her every day and the lengths he goes to see her, he replied, "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." The senior in love is truly teaching others what it means to be there for your partner no matter what.
The man from the Netherlands is now inspiring the rest of the world to up their game when it comes to being there for the person you love, with actions and not just mere words. “I think they keep each other alive with this. I hope my father inspires other people with this,” said his son, Wouter.
References:
https://mymodernmet.com/peter-burkhardt-bike-wife/
Representational Cover Image Source: Getty Images | Justin Paget
