Death & what remains

What would you like to leave your children?

44 answers answered between 2006 and 2026 one of 25 in The Q&A

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Randy Pausch Professor of computer science, human-computer interaction and design
Shortly after my terminal diagnosis, I knew that one of my biggest priorities was to create memories for my children. Chloe and Logan are both so young that it's likely they'll have no direct memories of me. Dylan is the oldest, and at 5 (turns 6 in December), his memories are likely to be fuzzy. Hence the engineering question: What would make for the sharpest, most visceral memory, esp. for a kid who loves animals? Answer: go for a Dolphin Swim!
Recorded Pausch's own update page on his Carnegie Mellon faculty site, Carnegie Mellon University, School of Computer Science, 4 September 2007 source ↗

1 answer from members

@aliabbasi builder
I want to leave my children three foundational tools to navigate the world: Life skills: The practical capability and independence to take care of themselves, solve everyday problems, and handle adult responsibilities with ease. Confidence: A self-belief rooted in resilience, knowing they have worth, deserve to take up space, and can handle failure without letting it define them. A sense of humor: The ability to find levity in life's absurdity, laugh at themselves, and keep perspective when things don't go according to plan. If they leave home with these three things, they'll have everything they need to build a meaningful life.

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