I was so happy to see this cover story on Michael Bublé and to learn his five-year-old son, Noah’s, cancer was in remission. I misread a headline last week that I thought said the opposite so thank goodness I was wrong. Two years ago, Noah was diagnosed. At the time, Michael told his fans he would be taking a break to focus on Noah’s treatment and understandably cancelled some obligations. Having gone through this experience and thinking he might lose his child has forever changed Michael. Now he says he simply will not “sweat the small stuff.”

After overcoming one of the most difficult times of his life, Michael Bublé is a changed man.

“Listen, I am different,” the Grammy winner, whose 5-year-old son Noah is in remission from liver cancer after a devastating diagnosis two years ago, tells PEOPLE exclusively in its latest cover story. “You don’t go through big things in your life, dramatic things like I’ve gone through or my wife has gone through without it having an effect on you.”

Two years ago, just three minutes before he was set to perform in London, Bublé received a shocking text from his wife, Argentinean actress Luisana Lopilato, 31, that shook him to his core: his firstborn son, then just 3 years old, was facing cancer.

Immediately putting their lives and careers on hold, the Vancouver-based couple moved to California and stayed by Noah’s bedside for the next seven months as he received life-saving care, including chemotherapy.

“Everyone understood in my world what my priority was,” says Bublé, 43, who is fiercely protective of his son’s privacy and declines to elaborate on the details of Noah’s treatment. “We all go through things. You just hope you learn something about yourself and you learn something about the people with you.”

“I don’t think I feel very nervous for anything anymore,” he says about seeing the bigger picture. “The perspective that I have on life now allows me to understand that I don’t have to sweat the small stuff. I want there to be a purity, and I want there to be a focus on relationships and kindness. I’m spending my time doing things I love and with people I love, for people I love.”

[From People]

I’d not heard the story about how he received the news. Can you imagine? How was he even able to perform after that? I can’t even imagine the toll that would take on a person. Of course your entire outlook would change. In addition to leaning on each other, Michael and Luisana’s extended families relocated to LA to support them. Michael said they were, “who we thought they were.” Maybe it’s PMS, but that comment choked me up. I can only wish someone would say that of me one day (you know, in the good way).

Good news – although he didn’t actually know if he would return to music, Michael is! He has a new album, Love and will go on tour in February.

I’m sure Michael and Luisana are grateful they have the resources to scale back their schedules to spend time with their kids. In light of their good news, let’s remember those who don’t have the same means. If you are looking for somewhere to donate this holiday season, consider some of the children’s’ hospitals that don’t charge the families like St. Jude’s Research Hospital, which has an even better history than most know about. Or the Ronald McDonald House that provides lodging at little to no cost to out of town families while their child receives treatment (both have good Charity Navigator scores). Or maybe your community has one of their own. For me, that’s Children’s Hospital of Los Angeles.

Michael and Luisana at his Walk of Fame ceremony November 16

Photo credit: People Magazine and WENN Photos