“An go through topics each Tuesday. Throughout
“An old man, a young man and life’s greatest lesson” As saidon the cover is a simple, yet wonderful way to explain Tuesdays with Morrie by Mitch Albom. This text will surelyleave an impact on your life. Whether it’s big or small, you’ll for sureremember this heartwarming memoir.
Albom does an excellent job of explaininghis story and the idea of how death isn’t necessarily a terrible thing, but wecan learn a valuable life lesson through death. For this essay I will befocusing in the lens of reader response and dive into some psychologicalthoughts. One major theme in this text is the idea that without love we will perish.”Without love, we are birds with broken wings” (92)Albom. This quote is afitting example of love each other or perish because it explains that without ourfamily, friends and the things we love doing then we are nothing more than aflightless bird with no means of survival.To start off, Tuesdayswith Morrie is about a former student, Mitch Albom, and formerprofessor, Morrie Schwartz. The two had become great friends through the yearsand after graduating from university, Mitch promises Morrie he will keep intouch with him but fails to do so.
It isn’t until 20 years later when Mitchstumbles upon the T.V show, Nightline, where Morrie is being interviewed.Because of this Mitch contacts his professor and travels out to met Morrie, whohas ALS.
From there, they decide to meet every Tuesday in which Morrie giveslessons on the meaning of life and go through topics each Tuesday.Throughout this memoir, Morrie constantly reminds us aboutlove because it is something he cherishes and is valuable to him. In childhood,Morrie lacked the love and support from family at an early age in his childhood.His father was a busy man and since is mother had died, his father becamedistant from him. It wasn’t until his step-mother Eva gave him this kind oflove and compassion he needed.
Since then Morrie had continued to spread hisabundance of love. Family, as we all know, is very important. A family’s loveis what nurtures us and makes us stronger. We lean on them for support and atsome point, in our lives we feel like our family only brings us down or we getinto a fight with one another and hate them. Although, at the end of the day,this feeling goes away, and we only feel it for a short amount of time becausewe love our family. Of course, our friends are important, but our family isirreplaceable and always there. Morrie states “The fact is, there is nofoundation, no secure ground, upon which people may stand today if it isn’t thefamily.
It’s become quite clear to me as I’ve been sick. If you don’t have thesupport and love and caring and concern you get from a family, you don’t havemuch at all. Love is so supremely important.” (91) This quote very much true inevery way. “Love is so supremely important”, as Morrie says, because withoutthe existence of love then the world would be a cold and dark place.
AsMorrie’s days come near to end, he realizes that if it were not for his familythat watches over him through his sickness then he would perish. “Knowing thatyour family will be there watching out for you, nothing else will give youthat. Not money. Not fame” (92). If you think about it, love is the foundation of everything.
Without love you can’t have a functioning team. We can’t have friends, awonderful spouse. Without love, we all might as well be dead. When Morrie says,”Love each other or perish” His idea is that if you don’t have any love thenyou’re not really living. Our main character, Mitch, finally realizes thatMorrie is right.
Mitch has always had a habit of putting Janine second andfocusing on his work and this has always created problems in theirrelationship, resulting in her slowly drifting away. Mitch was like an emptysoul, mindlessly doing work. Morrie explains “So many people walk around with ameaningless life. They seem half asleep, even when they busy doing things theythink is important.
This is because they are chasing the wrong things” (43).Mitch’s lack of love pushes Janine away as he is so focused on his work andmoney he forgets the most important thing in his life. If you can’t give love,then you can’t receive it. This can connect to Morrie’s quote “The mostimportant thing in life is to learn how to give out love, and to let it comein.
” (52). If Mitch were to continue what he did he would have nothing left.His life would be meaningless, unsatisfying and unbelievably lonely. Because ofMorrie’s wise words and love between Mitch and Morrie, it drives mitch tochange his ways and put Janine first. Morrie helps Mitch understand that thekey to happiness and success in life, is love and puts Mitch on the righttrack. “…devote yourself to loving others, devote yourself to your communityaround you, and devote yourself to creating something that gives you purposeand meaning” (43).
Morrie’s words are a clear example that we must love eachother to find happiness in life or live a life of nothing.In life, humans tend to take things for granted and likeMitch, we tend to forget the things that matter most to us. Currently, theinternet plays a big part in our lives. We all have our face glued to acomputer screen or our phones. The biggest thing that everyone wants now inlife is that 1 second of fame. But is it worth it? With all our technology, wenever really get to socialize.
Most of us miss that opportunity to make foreverlasting bonds. Mitch and Morrie are an example of that bond. As Morrie’s deathcomes soon, he explains to Mitch that death ends a life, not a relationship. “Aslong as we can love each other, and remember the feeling of love we had, we candie without ever really going away.
All the love you created is still there.All the memories are still there. You live on – in the hearts of everyone youhave touched and nurtured while you were here” (174) This passage is clear in asense that love is immortal. This text can also explain “Love each other orperish”.
The love Morrie and Mitch had for each other will always be there,even in death. Love is an essence in life and in death. Even if Morrie is to”Perish”, he isn’t dying alone. He surrounded by everyone he loves and can diepeacefully because he achieved happiness. It’s important to go out and socialize withothers and make the most of life while you still have the chance because in theend, without love we are nothing. Not only is it important to bond with others,but be compassionate.
“Be compassionate… And take responsibility for each other. If weonly learned those lessons, this world would be so much better a place” In thisfinal lesson that Morrie teach Mitch, he emphasis that help whenever you canbecause that person will do the same. “Love each other or perish”, becompassionate and the world would be much better.
Even the world needs love orit will just perish.ReadingTuesdays with Morrie hashelped me understand things that I never really thought about. Tuesdays with Morrie is anexcellent read and you learn a forever lasting lesson and that’s the remarkablething about Tuesdays with Morrie.It sheds light on the idea of living your life to fullest and make sure you’rehappy. Not do something because society says so. The most important part, as Ihave said throughout this essay, is love. Without the love of our family and foreverlasting bonds then we are nothing. Love is our legacy and as Morrie says,”Without love, we are birds with broken wings” (92).
Spread love and you’ll inreturn receive it. These are all important aspects in Tuesdays with Morrie and really defines the idea of loveeach other or perish
