Sunday, September 06, 2009

Tuesdays with Morrie

I am somewhat moved by this book. Morrie, a person on death bed told the world how to live. The closest book to this one was "The Last Lecture". I think both the books together shows how one can learn how to die and then can learn easily how to live. Apart from this, this is the kind of very rare, affectionate teacher-student relationship. Its just a chance, I read this book on 5th September.

Trying to paste some good text and some images of Morrie.


About the book: This true story about the love between a spiritual
mentor and his pupil has soared to the bestseller list for many reasons. For starters: it reminds us of the affection and gratitude that many of us still feel for the significant mentors of our past. It also plays out a fantasy many of us have entertained: what would it be like to look those people up again, tell them how much they meant to us, maybe even resume the mentorship? Plus, we meet Morrie Schwartz--a one of a kind professor, whom the author describes as looking like a cross between a biblical prophet and Christmas elf. And finally we are privy to intimate moments of Morrie's final days as he lies dying from a terminal illness. Even on his deathbed, this twinkling-eyed mensch manages to teach us all about living robustly and fully. Kudos to author and acclaimed sports columnist Mitch Albom for telling this universally touching story with such grace and humility.

From Morrie

  • So many people walk around with a meaningless life. They seem half-asleep, even when they are busy doing things they think are important. This is because they are chasing the wrong things. The way you get meaning into your life is to devote yourself to loving others, devote yourself to your community around you, and devote yourself to creating something that gives you purpose and meaning.

  • Forgive yourself before you die. Then forgive others.

  • ... I embrace aging… It's very simple. As you grow, you learn more. If you stayed at twenty-two, you'd always be as ignorant as you were at twenty-two. Aging is not just decay, you know. It's growth. It's more than the negative that you're going to die, it's also the positive that you understand you're going to die, and that you live a better life because of it.
  • ...There are a few rules I know to be true about love and marriage: If you don't respect the other person, you're gonna have a lot of trouble. If you don't know how to compromise, you're gonna have a lot of trouble. If you can't talk openly about what goes on between you, you're gonna have a lot of trouble. And if you don't have a common set of values in life, you're gonna have a lot of trouble.
  • Death ends a life, not a relationship.
--Morrie Schwartz










Mitch and Morrie after graduation.