Sunday, January 06, 2008

Amazing courage

I saw this recently (also read the transcript) - it is truly inspiring.

Dr.Randy Pausch is a 47 year old computer science professor at Carnegie Mellon University, who is dying of Pancreatic cancer. He gave what is called "The last lecture" on Sep.18.2007 - about achieving childhood dreams. I found this lecture to be so inspiring, so touching and heart breaking. His courage in the face of his terminal illness is just incredible - especially considering he has three very young children. I guess it's not how long you live but how you live that really matters. God knows how much longer he will live - miracles happen and he may live longer than predicted now - nevertheless he has lived such a model life for his children thus far. They would have learned so much already from his example. Many of you may already know about this lecture but I wanted to share it with you just in case you have not come across this.

4 comments:

Aryan-Arjun said...

Thanks for sharing the lecture. I was not knowing about it. But he is really fighting life in the positive way. It is really amazing. I feel god has given us so much that we take things for granted...
Aryan's Mom

Mala said...

Heartbreaking no? I read the transcript a couple of weeks ago. Have been meaning to watch the video too but I probably WILL howl if I do that.

Incidentally..how did you decide on the timing of the second kid? No questions here about whether or not have the second one (the husband wants 3!), but not sure what the gap should be !
Mala

noon said...

Aryan & Mala - thanks for commenting about this lecture post - I was wondering if any one saw it since there were no comments!
Yes we take life for granted. I was amazed at his wife also - she is so strong - I would be bawling all the time if it were me - she has to take care of three very young children too...

Mala - about the age gap. Oh dear - I was thinking up a post this afternoon - mockish post - may do it tomorrow if tomorrow is as tiring as today was.
In any case - seriously speaking - if you ask me I think close age gap is good but not too close - my friend has kids who are 14m apart - great as it is when they grow up the first 3 yrs will be killer years for the mom if you don't have help or too much help. If you do have help I would still say the first child should at least be two or around that...mine are 22m apart. I think it is hard as it is - but still doable. I weaned the first one off nursing only at 15m soon after I became pregnant. Need some time to recover...and get back to it again.
But close age gap is good because the first one is still a bit clueless and accepts the second more easily and they become so much a part of each other...and it helps also I think later in that they relate to each other very well. Every thing has it's pluses and minuses but I think two to three year age gap is ideal. Not more, not less - of course this is my well researched, scientific (!) opinion! :)By the way my friend is going to have her third child soon - will know from her what that* is like! I could not even dream of it - just no energy left in me!

Anonymous said...

No, I didn't know about this either. thanks for sharing it.