What is the most important lesson life has taught you?

To be humble is to be sane.

To fail better next time.

But cancer has also ushered in new ways of being alive. Even when I am this distant from Canadian family and friends, everything feels as if it is painted in bright colors. In my vulnerability, I am seeing my world without the Instagrammed filter of breezy certainties and perfectible moments. I can’t help noticing the brittleness of the walls that keep most people fed, sheltered and whole. I find myself returning to the same thoughts again and again: Life is so beautiful. Life is so hard.

To let things go.

To trust in the process.

Don’t make jokes at the expense of Little Mix. They have an ardent fanbase.

That life is tough and unfair; that life is beautiful.

To find as many moments to laugh as possible.

To be led by love and not judgment.

Nothing’s guaranteed and things change in an instant, and to get used to that and stay in the moment.

Block out the noise and trust your gut.

Talk to people. Learn from them. And put your phone away.

You have to ride the wave and never wait for it to be calm, because it never will be.

One’s created sense of self is not who you are. The present moment is all we have.

That fear and excitement sometimes feel quite similar and you can misinterpret one for the other.

Offer kindness always.

Genuine love is given freely, not by force.

You can only do one thing at a time.

Want for your brothers and sisters what you want for yourself.

Know the things you are responsible for and the things you aren’t.