We all have someone in our life who’s affected us in a positive way. Whether it be a parent, a friend, or even a teacher, we all have that someone. Mitch Albom’s best selling novel, Tuesdays with Morrie, shows such a relationship.
Tuesdays with Morrie is a true story that details the final days of Morrie Schwartz (a former sociology professor at Brandeis University). Schwartz has Lou Gehrig’s disease, more commonly known as ALS. After hearing about Schwartz’s story on Nightline, a former student of his, Mitch Albom, returns to visit Schwartz’s every Tuesday. During their meetings, they talk about life, the nature of mankind, and how to truly become happy and fulfilled.
The Message behind Tuesdays with Morrie
There is not one negative thing I could possibly say about this novel. There was never a single moment I was bored while reading it. Although the novel is chock full of awe-inspiring stories, and motivational sayings, the overall message has changed my entire outlook on life. That message being the one aphorism that Schwartz repeats time and time again throughout the book, “Love each other, or perish.”
If you have no clue as to what the aforementioned means, I might be able to shed some light. What Schwartz means is that in order to live an amazing and meaningful life, you need to be loving instead of hating. If you’re full of hate, and negative energy, you’re going to attract more of that into your life. Furthermore, keeping a grudge is incredibly difficult, and will leave a mental strain on you. If you let go of the hate, start viewing things in a more positive light, and make positive changes in your life, things will begin to turn up for you.
How Tuesdays with Morrie made me love non-fiction
Another thing that I absolutely love about Tuesdays with Morrie is how it made me fall in love with non-fiction books. Before reading this book, I would usually read fiction books, and maybe a non-fiction piece once in a blue moon. However, after finishing this book, I started reading and buying a plethora of non-fiction, and self-development books. From Selling 101, to The Art of Leadership, to even The Tibetan Book of Living and Dying. In fact, I’d even say that non-fiction is now my new favorite genre!
Tuesdays with Morrie will bring you to tears
Tuesdays with Morrie is easily the greatest book I’ve ever read. Besides the reasons I’ve already stated, probably the biggest reason I love this novel is that it managed to do the one thing that no other novel could ever do; it made me cry.
There was a part in the book where Schwartz was telling Albom a story about forgiveness. Schwartz’s wife was having medical problems at the time, and one of his friends and his wife didn’t show up to see if she was okay, even though they were well aware of her problems. For years and years, Schwartz was bitter about it, that’s until that friend died. He regrets not being able to tell him that he forgave him, and he tells Albom that he should always forgive. This really impacted me because I’ve struggled with forgiveness throughout my own life.
Another part that drove me to tears was the last time that Schwartz and Albom met. At that point, Schwartz’s ALS had prevented him from moving, he could hardly breathe, and he could barely even talk. Due to his weakened state, he became paper thin and didn’t weigh that much. So the final conversation between Schwartz and Albom was not only very difficult to have but also very heart-wrenching. The way that Albom describes it was so beautifully, done. Reading it will make you feel as though you too are sitting in Schwartz’s bedroom, saying your final goodbyes.
Final Words
If you take anything away from this review, please understand that Tuesdays with Morrie is a must read. And quite frankly, it’s the book that could change your entire life for the better. There are other good books like The Secret or The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People that can change you, but Tuesdays with Morrie will change you in ways that you couldn’t even begin to imagine.
If you wanna take a look at Tuesdays with Morrie, you can buy it on Amazon for the really cheap price of $7.84. Additionally, if you want to watch the movie version, you can also buy it for DVD on Amazon as well.
