If you knew your time on earth was going to be cut short, how would you live out the rest of your days?

I first read The Last Lecture back in high school (it was the very last book assigned to me in English class my senior year). Since then, I’ve returned to it a few times, both reading and watching Randy Pausch’s lecture. The copy I revisited this week was actually Jakob’s that I had given him for his birthday gift last year.

I loved this book when I was younger, but I found myself needing its positive message more than ever right now. Between a horrifying week of news in America and a really bad health flare that has left me mostly bedbound, life has looked a little bleak. Pausch’s overarching message of striving to enjoy life for as long as you have it despite the negative circumstances stacked against you brought me real comfort.

One of my favorite parts has always been his list of childhood dreams. He managed to achieve several of them, from experiencing zero gravity to working as a Disney Imagineer. He had a way of making the seemingly impossible possible, and it’s inspiring to read. I also really connect with the chapter where he details spending time with his niece and nephew before he became a father himself. As someone who hasn’t had the chance to experience parenthood yet, I live for those moments when I get to create core memories with my nieces and nephews. Being an aunt is one of the greatest blessings of my life.

The book as a whole is a beautiful testament to who Randy was – something he left behind for his grieving wife to remember and for his beloved young children to grow to know him over the years despite the distance. For a book with such a devastating premise, it carries a remarkably hopeful and uplifting tone. It makes you reminisce on your own childhood dreams and reignites that passion to chase them again, the very passion most of us lose as we get older. For me, it renewed my determination to find joy despite my health struggles. I don’t want my illness to steal those moments of happiness anymore.

Another detail that’s stuck with me for years is how Randy painted whatever he wanted on the walls of his childhood bedroom. In his lecture, he encourages parents to allow their kids to do the same. My mom actually took that advice long before I even read the book, and because of her, my teenage bedroom ended up covered in Hawaiian flowers, music notes, favorite quotes from songs and books, and even a cartoonish little depiction of David Tennant as Doctor Who. I would recommend this practice to any parent – like Randy says, don’t care about resale value! Creativity matters more, and the paint can always be covered over later (though I’ll definitely be upset if my parents ever do cover it up).

I’d recommend The Last Lecture to anyone who needs to fall in love with life again. It’s one of the most inspirational memoirs out there, and I truly believe everyone should read it at least once.