Just when you start to think about how the life of a medical student sucks, there's always someone in the wards who reminds you of how privileged you are, and how you should never, ever, take things for granted.

I spoke to someone with a metastatic cancer today. She was so sick and in so much pain. I really didn't know what I could say, and so I just listened. She told me about her life, her family, and how all that had changed when she found out about her diagnosis. She told me, in Chinese, how she wished she could live a few more years just to see her children grow up. My heart just broke. It's so hard to say something to someone who has been so brave, who has been through so much more than anyone of us could ever imagine.

She reminded me to cherish every moment.