A tribute to that brave young professor named Randy

You likely heard that Randy Pausch
has lost his valiant fight.
But ponder his Last Lecture.
What hope it did ignite.

Just think of what his students heard.
That obstacles aren’t bad.
That roadblocks come to test our will
instead of leave us sad.

That things aren’t that important.
That people matter more.
That goals we dream in childhood
are so worth striving for.

That life goes on without us.
That people let us down.
That sick men can do push-ups.
That what goes ’round comes ’round.

That those we leave can know us
by what we leave behind.
That we can leave our fingerprints
by simply being kind.

That dying can mean living.
That every day’s a chance
to open up a priceless gift,
lace up our shoes and dance.

Forty-seven year old Randy Pausch died of pancreatic cancer on July 25, 2008. Dr. Pausch gave his famous Last Lecture to students at Carnegie Mellon University after learning he had only months to live.

The Last Lecture has been viewed by countless millions on YouTube and has been published as a book.