Editor’s Note
This article explores the profound personal journey of a caregiver, reframing the role not as a life interrupted but as a life reshaped by strength, dignity, and mindset. It is a testament to resilience and the quiet power of devotion.
“Caregiving did not stop my life; it just gave my life a different shape. For me, caregiving is a test of strength, dignity, and mindset. I have always believed that mindset determines everything.”
64-year-old Liang Xiuyun resigned from a trading company nine years ago to become her mother’s full-time caregiver.
Her mother is now 96 years old. About a decade ago, she began to fall frequently and was once bedridden. Around 2018, she developed mild dementia, making the caregiving work more complex and challenging.
Faced with the long-term drain on time and emotions, and the reality of her mother’s ever-changing needs, Liang Xiuyun did not become disheartened. Instead, she strived to live her own life beyond her caregiving role.
From 2017 to 2019, she pursued and obtained a Master’s degree in International Business Management. In 2020, she completed the WSQ Advanced Certificate in Learning and Performance, preparing herself for a future in the training industry.
Liang Xiuyun said in an interview that she mostly studied late at night after her mother fell asleep, “burning the midnight oil” from 11 p.m. to 5 a.m.
Liang Xiuyun also took fashion jewelry courses and founded her personal jewelry brand “Style Chapterz.” She creates handmade accessories using semi-precious stones, pearls, and jade, showcases them on social media, and occasionally sells them at pop-up stores, gradually carving out another career path.
However, while juggling multiple roles, the long-term pressure of caregiving gradually accumulated. She once coped by overeating, and her weight soared to nearly 90 kilograms. Realizing her health was at risk, she chose to regain her rhythm through fitness and successfully lost 17 kilograms.
When asked what drives her to continuously improve herself, Liang Xiuyun said she deeply understands that she cannot “sacrifice” her own life to care for her mother. Otherwise, if she herself falls first, she will no longer have the strength to care for others.