"Having a terminal cancer has altered my thoughts of this coming new year from all those that have come and gone. Life is so bizarre that in some ways, my diagnosis has been a blessing.

"I'm not sure why life goes like that. But often in those moments when our life seems to be at its lowest, we are taught the most profound lessons. Life can be so unforgiving and cruel, and yet still possess a breathtaking beauty. As humans, we tend to separate ourselves for the most shallow and selfish of reasons. But in the end, our sameness should always erode away our differences. We all will experience pain and loss on this journey. We all will have our brief moments of chest-pounding triumph, to be followed by the crushing reality that we are also the frailest and weakest of beings.

"My hope for the New Year is for people to understand how fleeting our health, our wealth and our social status can be; that life is a blend of all things, both good and bad, for all people. I hope that we learn to see that sameness - and know that, all in all, life is good.''

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