Tuesdays with Morrie: A book on life for every stage of life
Warning: Potential Spoilers Ahead
I read Tuesdays with Morrie by Mitch Albom when I was in ninth grade. Despite the book talking about life lessons, which means that the impact of the novel should have been lost on someone my age, this book still resonated with me and is still one of the most important books in my collection. Tuesdays with Morrie is a phenomenal novel that should be read by everyone at least once every decade of your life.
Tuesdays with Morrie is an autobiographical novel which focuses on the author’s old college professor, Morrie Schwartz, and how his life experiences helped change Albom’s life. These meetings, deemed as a “final class” by the author, happen many years after Albom graduated from his alma mater Brandeis University. He decided to contact his old professor after seeing a television interview of him by Nightline, realizing Morrie’s situation.
These weekly meetings are considered “final” due to the fact that Morrie has Lou Gehrig’s disease, also known as ALS. This is a rare neurological disease which slowly impacts body movement, among other functions in the body. Morrie had limited time on his hands when Albom stopped by for life advice. Morrie’s vast experiences would not only be a guide to Albom in how to live life to the fullest, but to millions of people worldwide.
Albom is inspired to visit his professor after seeing the Nightline interview. As he approaches the house, it is evident how busy his adult life is due to his multi-tasking. He is on the phone with his boss, he has on a news radio channel, he makes note of when his return flight is. Albom works as a journalist in Detroit, where he lives a fast life. He lived with a constant belief that he was to die young like his uncle, which caused him to live a life distracted by working and gaining accomplishments, striving to make the most of what he thought would be a short life.
When Albom sees Morrie for the first time in 16 years, all of his worries seem to fade away. The most important thing Mitch got from these conversations is that Morrie helped him reflect on the life he was living. Morrie was upfront with the fact that he was going to die, and he used his last months talking to Mitch about how he could change his life. What did one think were the most important things in life when he was dealing with a terminal disease, knowing the end is near?
Through Tuesdays with Morrie, readers can put themselves in Mitch’s shoes and imagine themselves going through the same things as him. Whether it is wondering how to live a meaningful life or how to turn around the one they live in, Morrie’s lessons and values reach the hearts of millions as though he is speaking to every single reader individually.
Everyone at some point is afraid to die. Everyone knows it is inevitable and yet people fear the day. Morrie on the other hand understands this truth and teaches us not to fear it. He states, “I may be dying, but I am surrounded by loving, caring souls. How many people can say that?” Morrie wants people to understand that one should not focus on the depressing things in life. He understands that death is near and acknowledges how lucky he is to be in his situation. He is gifted with the knowledge of when his time will be up and he has people who care for him that makes the process not so frightening. Words like these are what makes Morrie’s advice so helpful. Morrie’s approach to life helps younger generations stray from common thought paths, a pleasing shift from society’s conformist way of thinking about life.
Mitch Albom wanted society to listen to Morrie as well over the course of the Tuesdays. The day he starts recording the conversations between him and his old professor, Albom writes down a list of the topics he wants to talk about with Morrie: Death, Fear, Aging, Greed, Marriage, Family, Society, Forgiveness, A Meaningful Life.
These are all topics that are important to a person of any age. From any step in the staircase of life, one sees these topics differently. One values some ideas more than others. In the grand scheme of things, how should one approach these subjects? What do people not realize due to the culture of the society we live in, dictating our opinions and beliefs about milestones and emotions? How does one live a happy life while balancing these factors and many more? Does living a happy life mean looking at the core values of life from a different perspective? Do we all need guidance from someone with experience before making decisions, or are our wrong decisions themselves our guidance?
I must warn the public that this book is a tearjerker. You probably guessed that based on the previous descriptions, but this book will make you feel something no matter how hard you try to resist. Whether it is a topic Morrie and Mitch talk about, an experience you feel connected with, Morrie’s disease, or anything else on these pages, this book is an emotional read. But that is the true beauty of it. Albom is a master of pulling people together and connecting them to stories based on common experience. I was fourteen when I read this book and I still managed to connect to the story despite its target demographic leaning towards adults. When I reread this book, I will still find a way to connect to the story.
The words from both Albom and Morrie about life, death, and everything in between is masterful yet authentic. If my words making this novel seem like it is being marketed as a ‘self-help book’ alarms you then I shall steer you away from those thoughts. Morrie tells stories from his own outlook, as someone distant from life wanting to help others find their way, not as an all-knowing being.
This phenomenal work is a future classic in my mind and should be read multiple times in one person’s life. I feel the need to read this story again in my college years as well as during my adulthood. To anyone who feels lost or anyone who feels secure, Tuesdays with Morrie will make you think about your lifestyle differently. Wonder about what is in your life and what you can remove, what you can add.
Thank you for reading!
“We all need teachers in our lives.”
-Mitch Albom, Tuesdays with Morrie
