An Examined Life

Betty's Last Lecture I'm not anywhere near death. I am 46 and have probably 54 more years to live. I am the mother of two children and divorced from my husband. I really try not feel sorry for myself, having no reason, as death is not imminent in my life like in Randy Pausch's case. So how to spend my the time yet unfathomable as to its end? I embrace every moment with my children and do everything possible to prepare them for the day that they must forge their lives without me. My mental debate with myself is that in knowing that my life could be swept away from me from disease or accident, how to teach my children the habits of thought and action that would help them live their lives without me. The children are too young now to see how my efforts will help shape their lives in the future. Like any parent I want to teach my children right from wrong, what I feel is important and how to deal with the difficulties life will bring. Parents want children to know stories from their own lives perhaps as a way to teach them how to live theirs. My desire to do that lead me to follow Randy Pausch's format of a last lecture. This will never be presented to anyone as a graduation lecture at any academic university. There truly is no audience other than my children and my friends. If I were an illustrator, I would have drawn a book for them. If I were a poet, I would write a poem for them, but I am only an aspiring writer so I"m writing. Betty's Last Lecture 1. An examined life. When I consider my demise and ruminate on what matters most to me, what wisdom would I impart to my children if I knew it was my last chance? What would I want as my legacy? I could share perhaps about my personal and professional journey. I have a great urge to leave some words that would serve as guide posts to my children. This is my insurance policy against unforeseen accidents that may cut short my life. What makes me unique that would define my 46 years of life? I never envisioned a dream for my life so there was no dream to fulfill. My childhood was very constricted. My life with my children is a struggle against that. I wanted for my children an examined life. I wanted for them to form aspirations from their childhood.