My greatest fear as a father is that I won’t survive to see my children grow up. I guess I think that something terrible could happen to me before I see them get where they need to get. While it’s something I tend to keep to myself, it’s this fear that drew me to the story of Randy Pauch, a 47-year-old father of three with pancreatic cancer and only months to live. His book is The Last Lecture and it’s an adaption of his farewell lecture to students and colleagues at Carnegie Mellon University where he taught.

While I tend to shy away from tragic memoirs, I found myself drawn to the experience of someone at a similar station in life forced to confront his own demise. And the grace, vision and composure with which he handles his loss and the loss of his children is amazing. The Last Lecturecould easily serve as a road map for any parent going through the same situation.

While we work increasingly in an attention economy, time is the true currency.  If you don’t think so you might want to listen to Randy Pauch. The Last Lecture is recommended reading for any parent who needs to be reminded about what’s really important.

You can learn more about the book and link through to the actual lecture on the The Last Lecture website.

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