Tuesdays with Morrie

A few years ago, one of my best friends suggest that I read this book, "Tuesdays with Morrie" written by Mitch Albom. She told me how the book was her absolute favorite because it had such a wonderful message. It was then that I decided that I wanted to read this book. So I took it home and put it on my nightstand like I do with all the other books I want to read... and there it sat for almost a year. Finally, I gave it back to her because I never had the time to read it. I still intended on reading it someday...

At the beginning of this semester, one of my speech professors explained that each of us would have to read a famous book discussing one of the diseases we were learning about this semester. One of those diseases happened to be ALS, and one of the books about ALS was "Tuesdays with Morrie." I signed up the second I could - I finally had a reason to HAVE to read this book. Oh, how I already loved this professor just because of her homework assignment.

So just a few weeks ago, I excitedly sat down to do my homework (that never happens) - I spent the day reading "Tuesdays with Morrie." It is only 199 pages and the fastest read ever, BUT one of the most inspiring books I have ever read. Every page of this true story is filled with little life lessons from a man who struggled with this disease. I used sticky notes to mark profound thoughts; I ran out of sticky notes before I ran out of finding profound thoughts. If you have never read the book, I HIGHLY recommend it! It seriously took me (a slooow reader) only 3 hours. But I have not stop thinking about some of the things that I read ever since! I have put some of my favorite finds below. To find the rest, you will just have to read the book! :)

"Accept the past as past, without denying it or discarding it."

"The culture we have does not make people feel good about themselves. We're teaching the wrong things. And you have to be strong enough to say if the culture doesn't work, don't buy it. Create your own."

"So many people walk around with a meaningless life. They seem half-asleep, even when they're busy doing things they think are important. This is because they're 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."

"The fact is, there is no foundation, no secure ground, upon which people may stand today if it isn't the family... If you don't have the support and love and caring and concern that you get from a family, you don't have much at all. Love is so supremely important."