From 12 to 18 October, Australia marks National Carers Week — a time to recognise, celebrate and raise awareness of the 3 million Australians who provide unpaid care to a family member or friend.

A reflection by Charlie;

This year’s theme, “You are, know, or will be one,” is a quiet truth that reaches into almost every home. Caring touches all of us — directly or indirectly — and its imprint lingers long after the role itself ends.

For me, that truth is personal.

When my mum fell ill in 2014, I learned first-hand how caring changes the shape of a life. I wrote then:

“The journey is long and tiring. It cost friendships, jobs and my health on occasion. It has caused me to revalue and evaluate many things in my life, with some now cherished more than ever before. Some obvious like the support of my family, but others include the sanctuary of my garden and my alone time. Finding peace. Keeping calm. As mum’s carer, I was needed for Doctor’s appointments, shopping, advocacy and as power of attorney for her financial affairs, and the weight is heavy. I’ve explained before, I did it because she’s my mum and I wouldn’t have it any other way. I’d prefer to just be her daughter.”

That piece, written more than a decade ago, still rings true — not just for me, but for so many carers who live in that delicate space between love and exhaustion.

Caring tests patience and reshapes identity.

It brings moments of deep connection alongside quiet grief. It demands resilience, compassion, and often invisibility. Yet it also exposes what truly matters: kindness, time, small joys, and the steady endurance of love.

As National Carers Week reminds us, caring isn’t an abstract social issue — it’s the heartbeat of families and communities.

Whether you’re in the midst of it, have been there, or will be one day, take a moment to acknowledge the extraordinary ordinariness of care.

Because behind every carer’s story lies a universal truth: when we care for someone else, we are also learning — sometimes painfully — what it means to be human.

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The hidden impact of the best