Paul was a close friend of mine, and we worked together on his research during his neurosurgery residency at Stanford. He was a hell of a human being, brilliant, dedicated, creative, refreshingly optimistic, and selfless. Before he was diagnosed, I'd planned to postdoc with him when he was considering starting a functional neurosurgery lab (actively manipulating the nervous system to achieve therapeutic benefit, with deep brain stimulation being the most successful example).
"Most ambitions are either achieved or abandoned; either way, they belong to the past. The future, instead of the ladder toward the goals of life, flattens out into a perpetual present. Money, status, all the vanities the preacher of Ecclesiastes described, hold so little interest: a chasing after wind, indeed."
indeed... so perfect... great piece, thanks for sharing...
I had a teacher pass away in high school. He had young kids. All his students ended up writing a book about how he'd been, what kind of guy he was. I think it's therapeutic for people who remember him and quite valuable for his children.
I'm envious of your relationship. I'm shocked that he's only 37 as his eloquence and wisdom -- from these simple videos and articles -- seemingly command attention in a way that I rarely see.
This piece he wrote shortly before he died is well worth your time. http://stanmed.stanford.edu/2015spring/before-i-go.html