This is not a forward, but it certainly could become one if you enjoy it. This is the tale of an incredible man, the likes of which are difficult to find, and one who is sorely missed.
I came across it while referencing a favorite blog site. Here's some background info taken largely from the site itself.
"By now you've probably heard of "The Last Lecture". Randy Pausch, a Carnegie Mellon University computer scientist, gave the lecture as part of a series where speakers were asked to give a lecture as if it were their last lecture of their life.
For Randy, this was significant. Because he was diagnosed with incurable pancreatic cancer in September, 2006. Doctors told him he would live 3 - 6 months. A year later he delivered "The Last Lecture":
The speech last fall was part of a series Carnegie Mellon called "The Last Lecture," where professors were asked to think about what matters to them most and give a hypothetical final talk. The name of the lecture series was changed to "Journeys" before Pausch spoke, something he joked about in his lecture.
"I thought, damn, I finally nailed the venue and they renamed it," he said.
Randy died at his home in Virginia today. Below is the full lecture. It's a little over an hour long, but I promise you won't be disappointed. Be sure to stick around until the end for what Randy calls, "the head fake". A word of caution, you might want to grab the kleenex."
Agreed, by the end, you might need some kleenex. This is a ~lecture~, so don't expect this to be short and sweet. (about and hour and fifteen minutes) Randy is a phenomenal public speaker, so he will have you not wanting to turn away or turn down the sound, lest you miss something important, and this lecture is one I'd definitely label as important material. You'll enjoy it immensely if you choose to watch it, but whether you choose to or not, please pass it on. It holds some very valuable life lessons, it's entertaining, and as a whole nothing short of brilliant.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ji5_MqicxSo