The Last Lecture

My friend Lita is such an irrational (“accomplished” is her term) shopper she buys a dozen of everything she fancies. Predictably, she bought a dozen of this book which she stresses to her staff, “everyone must read!” She lends me one.

I had read rave reviews of this best-selling book, and watched on video the author, Randy Pausch (a young and well-loved computer science professor), when he delivered his last lecture titled “Really Achieving Your Childhood Dreams” at Carnegie Mellon University two years ago. He had been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in its last stages.

His talk was part of a series of lectures of top academics for a hypothetical "final talk" on what to impart to the world if it was their last chance. It was literally Randy Pausch’s last chance, and although he was unsure at first, he accepted it for a very important reason: he wanted to leave his thoughts as a legacy to his children.

The principles discussed in that last talk are what the book “the Last Lecture” is all about.

“We must never take our lives for granted!” Lita says, like delivering her own last lecture. “Let’s make it meaningful for others, especially our children.” Though her three children are all adults, Lita dotes on them, and by her deeds, you can tell she is fiercely protective of them.

I start reading the book in the car on my long way home. I take only a short break for dinner and continue reading. Before the night is over, I finish the book. Whatever is left of the night I spend praying, seeing clearly in my heart’s eye the grace that was strewn my way to make some of my own childhood dreams become realities.

Randy Pausch died one year after his last talk; and Lita, several days after she lent me this book, went to China for one of her shopping trips—there she had aneurysm. But by divine intervention, she was flown home safely, straight to ICU, where she recovered fully after a month.

Today, whenever I think of Randy Pausch’s reason for accepting the invitation to deliver his last lecture, my eyes mist.

And when I listen to Lita’s “lecture” about serving others with our lives, I am reminded of the precariousness of our earthly existence—how it can be snuffed out quickly—but for God’s unfathomable grace.