What have you learned since the idle days of your childhood? The days when you fought with your brother over ownership of the miniature yo-yo that came out of the Christmas cracker or realized that you had to go pee only after your Mom had finished zipping you into your snowsuit.

This past weekend, memories of my Northern childhood flooded back to me as I adjusted the straps my Dad’s snow-pants, stepped into my Mom’s Sorrel boots, and layered a neck warmer underneath my scarf to brace against the -20*C air. Bright sunshine and my need for exercise helped to compensate for the frigid temperature as I stumbled through two feet of snow and half slid down the hill in front of my parent’s house (too bad I couldn’t find a crazy carpet).

After thirty minutes of heart pounding snow shoeing (without the snowshoes) across the frozen lake, I headed towards home and flopped onto the side of the hill to catch my breath. From my icy perch, I looked out over the crimson tinged sky and thought about the little Terri who grew up here, the pre-cancer Terri who came to visit, and the post-cancer ‘work in progress’ Terri.

Sometimes, I miss that little girl and all that she continues to teach me. I want to embrace the way she lost herself in the happiness or sadness of each moment. I want her to remind me how to worry less and love more; spend less and live more. But, I am also grateful for all that I have learned since I raced my siblings down the icy hills and clamoured for the first cup of hot chocolate. I am happy to have reached a place where I can see that not having the answers is a sign of opportunity and not failure.

When it comes to what she has learned, I think Dr. Maya Angelou said it best. “I’ve learned that no matter what happens, or how bad it seems today, life does go on, and it will be better tomorrow. I’ve learned that you can tell a lot about a person by the way he/she handles these three things: a rainy day, lost luggage, and tangled Christmas tree lights. I’ve learned that regardless of your relationship with your parents, you’ll miss them when they’re gone from your life. I’ve learned that making a “living” is not the same thing as making a “life.” I’ve learned that life sometimes gives you a second chance. I’ve learned that you shouldn’t go through life with a catcher’s mitt on both hands; you need to be able to throw something back. I’ve learned that whenever I decide something with an open heart, I usually make the right decision. I’ve learned that even when I have pains, I don’t have to be one. I’ve learned that every day you should reach out and touch someone. People love a warm hug, or just a friendly pat on the back. I’ve learned that I still have a lot to learn. I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.”

What have you learned?