The end of a hobby?

[Nigel Jackson]

Oh Stefan, my thoughts, and those of my wife Ena, are so much with you and Ulrika. Whether or not you continue with the building side of our hobby, you will always have so many friends here.

Best wishes
Nigel

[IanB]

So sorry to hear the news of your wife's condition, Stefan. I wish you both all the very best. I would echo the comments of others in that it may be wise to keep your hobby "dormant" rather than sell everything. Not because you have to have time for yourself, but because sometimes you may need to... everyone needs time to relax and refresh at some point..

 Best of luck to you both,

Ian

[jknaus]

I am so very sorry to hear this. I wish you strength and offer my thoughts and prayers. As others have said keep something to work on. Even if you do 5 minutes every few days it is a time out and a "me" moment. It will make things less difficult to have that time. I wish you and your wife all the best.
James

[Kreston]

You and your wife are in my family's thoughts and prayers.

[dr 1 ace]

So Sorry to hear of this, our prayers for you and your wife.

Ed

[lone modeller]

Stefan,

I would very much like to repeat what has been written here several times and without going into details, I too write as a carer, one who looks after a relative in another country and to whom I speak on the telephone several times every day. The nature of the illness means that sometimes those conversations are not easy. Frequent visits mean much travelling which adds to the overall stress.

I started modelling again when I realised that I could not cope without some form of distraction, and compensation for the strain of constant giving. Nobody has unlimited energy or patience, we are all human and have our limits. It can be very difficult to say that I need time for me too, but I have learned the hard way that I have to. The biggest mistake that you could make would be to become a casualty too, simply because your heart is in the right place. I know how very difficult this position can be, and I know too, unfortunately, what can happen if we do not protect ourselves. I ask for the sake of you and your beloved wife that you keep some time for modelling as well as this forum, and that you set some time aside on a regular basis for YOU, because you need it. You owe it equally to yourself and your wife and although this may read as a contradiction, you will both be the better for it.

My thoughts are with you both and I hope that together you can still find joy and happiness despite your multiple problems.

Stephen.

[stefanbuss]

Friends,

thank you for your very warm comments, thoughts and prayers. Thank you, indeed. I do have enough stalled projects to complete (anyone remember the W.12 with the ducklings?) for the next dozen years. I will only offer kits I won't be able to start at all.

S.

[coyotemagic]

I'm terribly sorry to learn of Ulrike's condition and pray for her full and speedy recovery.  Your priorities are in the right place, my friend, but I'm certain that at some point, she want you to stop fussing over her and to do something.  Modeling can be wonderful therapy.
Please give my warmest regards to your darling bride.
Cheers,
Bud

[Umlaufmotor]

Stefan, ich wünsche Euch beiden nur das Allerbeste - mehr bleibt mir nicht zu sagen. 

I wish you both the very best - I can not say more.

[GrahamB]

This is very sad, Stefan and I hope you and Ulrike can maintain a good spirit through this (as Jamo said - Kia Kaha!). Each has to be strong for the other and if some modelling - clearly one of your other passions - can be inserted now and then into your life then it is good for you and your morale. Don't give it up entirely.
Very best wishes,
GrahamB

[Jimbo]

My most sincere well wishes Stefan. Take care of your co-pilot, but do remember to take care of yourself as well. Healing thoughts and prayers coming your way.

Jimbo

[mike in calif]

Stefan,
 I can only add my voice to what the others have said here. While your priority is your wife, I think you do have to keep a small part of yourself in some way.
 Best of luck.

[Eric Armstrong]

May God bless you and your wife Stephan.

Eric

[Rob_Owens]

Gar keine Beendenung, ganz im gegenteil, ein Anfang!

Pick a German plane from your stash, do it up in bright, colorful fictitious markings, with "Ulrike!" painted on the fuselage, and tell your lovely wife about Udet's LO! (if she doesn't already know). This way, any time you spend building the model, is time you spend WITH Ulrike, not AWAY from her, and as Borsos, Russell, Lance, Lonemodeler, and others have pointed out, being a long-term sole care-giver will be a drain on your morale.  Your wife needs you HAPPY not RESENTFUL!

By the way, MY wife suggested this. She's a psychotherapist whose specialty is trauma therapy.

[stefanbuss]

Rob,
Thank you for proposing this - I already have a model named after my wife in our collection. the very last Panther tank ever to be built survived WW2 and severe testing with the British forces afterwards. It then came to Bovington, later to be given to the WTS in Koblenz, Germany. That Panther is named Ulrike, and of course I had to build it.

That was in 2006, a long time ago.

S.