Tuesdays with Morrie…

An Old Man, a Young Man, and Life's Greatest Lesson by Mitch Albom

At times you long for a mentor or a coach to guide you through the life’s ups and downs. You long for an ear to listen and a hand to show the world and the way to make our own way. Here the student is Mitch Albom and the coach is his college professor Morrie Schwartz.

Mitch Albom rediscovered Morrie, who is dying due to a fatal disease, in the last months of the older man's life. Morrie is suffering from Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), an unforgiving disease of the neurological system, which debilitates the body slowly. Knowing he was dying, Morrie visited with Mitch in his study every Tuesday, which resulted in lessons in how to live. It celebrates the undying human spirit and its quest to learn and grow. He talks about love, joy, compassion, warmth, family, relationships, culture, society in such a disarmingly simple manner that you feel as a part of the conversation wondering about Morrie’s depth of understanding of life.

Morrie says, "We all yearn in some way to return to those days when we were completely taken care of -- unconditional love, unconditional caring. Most of us didn't get enough." Morrie has something to say about those who want to be young again. He says that's a reflection of a life that hasn't found meaning. He says if you've found meaning you don't want to go back, and you can appreciate the 23 year old in you, the 35 year old and the 62 year old.

Morrie emphasizes on cultivating relationships, touching people with genuineness and honesty, sharing warmth, affection and love. People tend to see each other as dissimilar rather than alike. In reality we all have the same needs. We are remembered by how we touched other’s lives rather than the bank balance we have.

The book inspires as I am not only soaking his wisdom, but I am also being a part of his experience of death. In his words, he is fortunate enough to know he is dying, to take stock of his life as it comes to an end. Understanding dawned in me that it is that in learning how to die, we learn how to live. If I accept the inevitability of my own death, then I can live my life free of trivial worldly concerns. Albom includes you in Morrie’s journey of life and it’s sure a book which makes you laugh, cry and makes you learn about life along the way.