[2021-10-14] Tears of gratitude

Earlier this evening, I shared my story with former colleagues at Health Canada and the Public Health Agency of Canada as part of a Government of Canada Workplace Charitable Campaign event.

What surprised me is that I choked up as I delivered the speech. I hadn't expected that. Tears so often mean sadness, but as I reflect on the past year, I don't feel sadness. I feel gratitude. I'm grateful for all the people who have supported me since I was diagnosed with ovarian cancer.

I won't repeat the entire story I shared, but I will share the lessons learned that I relayed at the conclusion of my speech:
  • Cancer doesn't define me; it's just part of my life.
  • As the mole said in The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse, "The greatest illusion is that life should be perfect."
  • Hair and eyebrows and eyelashes don't make me beautiful. Love and kindness do.
  • Being vulnerable gives others permission to be vulnerable too.
  • Acknowledging my weaknesses gives others an opportunity to share their strengths.
  • It's OK to be down when you have cancer or when you love someone who has cancer.
  • Sometimes I need to replenish my cup before I can fill other people's cups again.
  • Being upbeat won't necessarily make me live longer but it will make the days I do live much more pleasant.
  • I may not control what bad things happen to me, but I can control how I choose to see them.
  • The difficult moments in life can soften us, make us kinder and help us to better support others.
  • Take time for work, but don’t let work take all your time.
  • Learn people's names. As Dale Carnegie said: "a person’s name is to that person the sweetest and most important sound in any language."
  • What I am walking through at this moment may be just the story that helps get someone else through.
  • I am the head of my medical team.
  • I have a hand in creating my future.
  • As Maya Angelou said, "Your legacy isn't some big grand gesture.... Your legacy is every life you touch, everybody you encounter."
I have touched and been touched by so many incredible colleagues in the two organizations that I had the privilege of serving between 2016 and 2020. Thank you for your friendship.