The Greatest Lesson of All

Sometimes the most important lessons we can ever learn have nothing to do with facts and figures. These are lessons about life, and about our purpose here on Earth.

Dr. Fred Epstein, one of the world's most renowned brain surgeons (even though he was not a great student and was terrible in math in high school), often removed brainstem and spinal tumors from children in risky operations that other doctors wouldn't try. But he knew that the only way he could learn how to save any children was to perform risky operations on the ones who needed them most. He could not accept a child's death sentence.

Dr. Epstein not only saved many of the lives of the children on whom he operated, but he saved countless others because of the methods and technologies he invented while performing these risky surgeries.

Several years ago, Dr. Epstein had a 14-year-old patient who had already undergone several operations for brain tumors. Her prognosis was not good. She was scheduled for one more operation, which would not cure her, but might prolong her life. She had to make a choice as to whether she wanted to undergo another grueling operation.

"If you do this operation," she asked Dr. Epstein, "will I live through the summer?"

"Yes," he replied.

"Then do it," she said. "Give me the summer."

Dr. Epstein and his team performed the delicate operation. She lived to see the summer flowers bloom, and she loved every day she had left to her. She died in the fall, but before she did, she thanked the doctor for the time he had given her. Dr. Epstein will never forget the smile she gave him when she said, "Thank you," for at that moment he understood the reason he was put on Earth. It's a lesson we all need. We must keep on learning in life, no matter what the risks. No matter what the possibility of failure. Dr. Epstein never let the risk of failure stop him—and a failure for him could mean the death of a child. But still he took the risk. And so must we, for there is no other way to learn, and there is no greater lesson.

The man who is too old to learn was probably always too old to learn.

—Henry S. Haskins,
author

A major part of learning, of course, has to do with memory. Studies have shown that although we often lose some ability to remember as we age, we can stop the decline by keeping our minds stimulated and engaged. That's why constant learning is even more important as we get older. In the next chapter, you will find some ideas to make sure your retention and recall are there when you need them.