I didn’t know about Eric Dane’s battle with illness until I heard about his passing in February. My memory of Dane was still from Grey’s Anatomy. When I saw his appearance on Famous Last Words on Netflix last weekend, my tears came out. It was heartbreaking to see what the disease has done to him. And yet, he carried himself with posture, humor, and dignity.

One thing Dane said stayed with me: there will be many moments in life where we are alone. So we need to learn to be strong and at peace with ourselves.

At the very end, he offered four final thoughts to his two daughters:

(1) Live now
Be present. That’s the only thing that’s real.

(2) Love deeply
Loe the people in your life fully and openly.

(3) Fight with dignity
Face hardship with honesty, integrity, and grace.

(4) Never give up
Keep going, even when it’s hard. Keep fighting for your life, your values, your spirit.