Whenever I hear stories like this – and the contributions of Peter and other extraordinary leaders like Nadir Mohamed and Pyarali Nanji, I pause.
I wonder what compels someone to give so generously of their personal wealth? Maybe it’s knowing, deep down, that we can’t take any of it with us.
And then Marcus Aurelius’ words come to me: “What are you so afraid of losing when nothing in this world belongs to you?”
At first, it feels unsettling. Nothing belongs to me? Not my time? Not my money? Not even the people I love? But when I sit with it, the truth softens:
Nothing in this world is ours to keep. But everything we give becomes ours forever.
Those remarkable men didn’t “own” the money they donated. But they owned the generosity. They owned the hope they sparked. They owned the impact that will ripple far beyond their lifetimes.
Left: December 2015 - Waiting for breast cancer exam at North York General Hospital.
Right: November 2025 - Malignant Hematology patient lounge at The Princess Margaret Cancer Centre.
As a 3-time cancer warrior, I congratulate Peter Gilgan, and remember the late Nadir Mohamed and the late Pyarali Nanji, and others. I applaud them on behalf of cancer warriors who have lost the fight, cancer patients who are currently in the battle, and people who will be diagnosed with cancer in the future. The work you do brings light and hope to the most vulnerable. Thank you!
And while I don’t have that much money to donate, I am finding small ways to think about what I can do individually to reflect this in my own life:
- I don’t own my time – but I own how I use it.
- I don’t own my relationships – but I own the love and presence I bring.
- I don’t own my health – but I own the choices that honour this body I’ve fought so hard for.
- I don’t own my work – but I own the meaning I infuse into it.
Maybe this is what Marcus Aurelius was pointing toward. Nothing belongs to us, but we are entrusted with all of it.
Because when nothing truly belongs to us, every moment becomes a gift to show up more fully. Every act of service becomes an opportunity to focus less on what we give and more on how we serve.
And every choice becomes a chance to shape who we want to be.
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