Three years ago this week, I finished chemotherapy for ovarian cancer. The following day, I reflected on this quote from A Year of Positive Thinking: "time, surrender, and healing will allow you to find solace. It does get better." I did heal—again and again—after not just ovarian cancer surgery and chemotherapy, but also perianal skin cancer surgery and radiation, and a prophylactic bilateral mastectomy and reconstruction, followed by an explant of one breast implant. As I did a workout with my daughter this evening, I marveled out how much my body has recovered from. It does get better.

It is fitting that the bell in the chemotherapy unit at The Ottawa Hospital's Cancer Centre is called the Bell of Hope. Today, I rang that bell to signify the end of my chemotherapy treatments, and the beginning of hope that these interventions have slayed my cancer.

"You will experience moments when you feel like the world is against you, when nothing seems to work, when it feels like everything that can go wrong has. There are some circumstances that can't be fixed or made better immediately. There will be times when your world does not feel okay. As best as possible, you must sit and honor this truth. In those moments, allow yourself to cry, shout, or be upset. Feel what you feel. But then surrender into what is. I can't say when or how, but time, surrender, and healing will allow you to find solace. It does get better. Know this."

~ Cyndie Spiegel, A Year of Positive Thinking

My reaction upon first hearing that I had ovarian cancer was shock, fear and sadness. But I never asked "why" or "why me?" I never blamed myself. I simply accepted that this was a part of my life and would form a part of my story.

"Three things in life—your health, your mission, and the people you love. That's it."

~ Naval Ravikant

I have learned that friends come and go, but true friends return whenever we need them.

Think of someone who does something for you—perhaps fills a role in your life—and then think about how that thing means so much more to you than they may realize. Maybe they are:

Not just a card sender but someone who reminds others that they are special

Not just a dog owner but someone who shares affection through a puppy

Not just a nurse but someone who gives hope

Not just a poet but someone who reminds others of their humanity

Not just a giver of gifts but someone who celebrates others' achievements

Not just a foster mom but someone who is saving a child's life

Not just a writer but someone who is helping others think in new ways

Not just a sharer of photos but someone who is allowing others to live vicariously through them

I had a few people write to me today with a similar story. They said: "You may not remember me, but our paths have crossed." They recalled my kindness, or indicated that I had impressed them in the past and even more so since writing Jenesis. It reminded me of something I've said many times when mentoring young people: every day you come to work, you're auditioning for a potential employer. I modified it in recent years to say that everyone you meet in your professional journey is a potential reference. That could be the assistant who escorts you to the room where you will be interviewed, a colleague on an interdepartmental working group, or the boss of another unit.... There's a well-known saying that we should dance like no one is watching. It would do us well to follow the lesser-known truism that we should act as though someone were watching, because someone almost always is.

Without the willingness to be uncomfortable and to look or feel a little rusty, we'd never reach the point of flow—that moment when things click into place and we're speaking, writing, exercising or conversing with relative ease.

Many will read the ESPN article and focus on [Chris] Evert's diagnosis with and treatment for ovarian cancer. When I read the piece, I'm drawn to her sister's story and the importance of genetic testing in warning others of potential risks. As the older sister, Evert could have easily developed ovarian cancer before her sister, which might have made all the difference to [Jeanne Evert] Dubin.

I'm not suggesting that everyone blog about their various ailments, but I do think that there is value in living out loud, even if that's just with our immediate family—people who could benefit from knowing our health history. Sharing your story may inspire a family member to see a healthcare professional about an issue that they've been ignoring or to bring up a condition that might run in their family.

Having photos in an electronic format makes them much more useful than in a paper format stored in an album on a shelf. Digital photos are easy to share and enjoy. Because they're so readily shared, digital photos can quickly transport viewers back to the past. Pictures can be lightened or darkened as needed to bring out the best of the image. Photos can be edited and cropped. It's easy to create stories once one's photos are organized. Digital photos can be easily duplicated and stored in multiple locations.

"Work for a cause, not for applause. Live life to express, not to impress. Don't strive to make your presence noticed, just make your absence felt." ... This is my cause: raise awareness about ovarian cancer; present a model of living through cancer treatment and beyond; provide hope to those diagnosed with cancer and their loved ones; remind others to take care of themselves and their health; inspire readers to express love; create my legacy and motivate others to develop their own; guide employees in advancing in their careers; and express joy in the everyday pleasures life has to offer.

I have learned that when my response to Mel's appreciation is to share my doubts or downplay the results of my efforts, I detract from the sincerity of her praise. Instead of both feeling good—I for the outcome, and she for the compliment—we end up both feeling bad. When I do accept her applause, without reservation, I honour her and acknowledge her kind words.

Research shows there is a direct correlation between bilingualism and intelligence, memory skills and higher academic achievement. As the brain more efficiently processes information, it is even able to stave off age-related cognitive decline.... Despite the daunting timeframe, experts say it’s worth learning a second language for the cognitive benefits alone. Doing so naturally develops our executive functions."

~ Peter Rubinstein and Bryan Lufkin

Government programs and services are not always clear to the people who would benefit from them or who must comply with them. Even I—with a university degree and more than three decades of experience in the federal public service, including as an assistant deputy minister—struggle at times to get the information I need to access programs and services or to comply with my obligations as a citizen. How much more difficult must it be for people who do not hear well, who get easily confused or overwhelmed, or who don't speak English or French as a first language?