Often times when people ask me if I miss working in Toronto I reply that I miss two things: the people and the money, in that order. It’s no surprise that Toronto as a whole would offer a bigger salary along with a bigger cost of living. So people think I’m joking and sometimes I am!Â
The truth is, money really can’t buy you the important things in life. If it could, Steve Jobs would still be alive. And he’s just one example. Angelina Jolie revealed that she’s had surgery to remove her ovaries after early signs of cancer were detected. A few years ago she underwent a double mastectomy because she carries the breast cancer gene. Drastic moves that don’t come with a guarantee but they certainly shift the odds in her favour. She’s inspiring other women with strong family histories to get tested and perhaps go through the operations. It’s called The Angelina Effect and it’s a real phenomenon.
Even more surprising to me this week was Celine Dion’s tearful revelation that her husband, Rene Angelil, has to be fed through a feeding tube. Angelil has battled cancer and his last throat surgery left him unable to eat on his own. And although she could hire anyone she wanted to help her, because Celine loves her husband, she feeds Rene herself. She’s preparing to come back from a leave from performing at Caesar’s Palace in Las Vegas. The assumption is that Rene’s condition is stable.
I’ve lived with money and without money. Living with Celine Dion’s money would be an interesting experiment but I don’t have Celine Dion’s talent and she earned every penny, so I don’t begrudge her a fat bank account. But after you strip away the fancy homes, world travel and shiny toys, it all comes down to good health and love. That’s all that really matter. If your health fails, everything else in life is useless. And whether you love a partner, a pet or a parent, it doesn’t really matter. As long as you’re open to it.
Quite often I drive up to a patient’s home – one four times the size of mine with in ground sprinklers and a fireplace in every room and I feel a twinge of jealousy. But I snap myself back to reality. I wouldn’t want to be in their shoes – shoes that need a visiting nurse. Not for all the sprinklers and fireplaces in the world. My family and I are healthy and at the end of the day that is all that matters.
Well said, Dara. It’s easy to see “stuff” that others have and wish you had it too. But that’s their life path and as you said, yours includes a healthy family! And an ADORABLE one at that! (Thank you Facebook photos!)