I read an article in the Wall Street Journal "A Final Farewell" that had me in tears. It’s about Dr. Randy Pausch, a 47-year-old college professor who’s dying of pancreatic cancer. Previously, he had given a popular lecture about life to students. The article discusses his life since his lecture and how he and his family are dealing with his diagnosis.
I think the thing that makes me weep when I read/see things like this is that as a wife and mom, I think "how would I handle this if it was my reality?" Dr. Pausch has a wife and three children, ages 6, 3, and 1. If you read the article, you’ll be touched by how he’s preparing for his kids’ emotional future. You will also feel for both him and his wife as they anticipate the life that they won’t be able to share together as planned.
At the end of the day, I believe that God doesn’t give us more than we can bear. However, life (both mines and others) has shown me that I can bear more than I think. So, I always go away from these articles focusing on living each day to the full, because truthfully "tomorrow" is not promised to any of us. (That reality is just all the more obvious when people have specific medical diagnosis.)
In any event, if you need a good cry, read the article/watch the video.
