The World Loses A Mentor

I was saddened today when I was poking around at my usual internet sights and I read a terrible headline: "Randy Pausch dies at 47"

I posted an entry awhile ago when I first came across this story. It captivated me and still to this day I'm not exactly sure why. Here was a man who was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer and was told he only had months to live. He was a successful professor at Carnegie Melon University and had three young children. He lived only 10 months after his diagnosis.

Perhaps it was the way in which he lived his life that intrigued me. Always looking on the bright side, never giving up, and living each day to the fullest. Perhaps it was because I wished I lived my life that way - never looking back, never holding on to the past, always appreciating everything good in life.

I would listen to his "Last Lecture" and immediately feel grateful for everything I had in my life. He truly was a motivator for me and for millions of people across the country.

I'm saddened that the world has lost such a true great example of how I think we should all live our lives. Be thankful for the families we have, the jobs we have, the things we enjoy, and even be thankful for those times when our faith is tested. It's those times that allow us to grow as human beings and really prove to us how bad we really want something.

I'm sad for his wife who will have to raise her children with only the memory of their father instead of the man. I am sad for his children who will not remember the man they spent their early years with.

Let the values of Randy Pausch be a teacher for all of us. Don't take the time you have for granted. Give your kids an extra hug, your spouse an extra kiss, and put that extra effort into your job. You will reap the rewards.