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'Tuesday with Morrie' is a book with deep emotion. As you know, this book is about Morrie Schwartz. I first met this, I was moved to tears by this story. I love Morrie who was a greatly brave man. I learn a lot for him, that how I can mind myself.
Morrie had spent most of his life as a professor of sociology at Brandeis University, a position he had fallen into only "by default". He was an excellent teacher, and retired only after he begins to lose control of his body to ALS, Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis(, also known as Lou Gherig's disease). The disease ravaged his body, but, ironically, left his mind as lucid as ever. He realized that his time was running out, and that he must prepare his death and he must share his wisdom on "The Meaning of Life" with the world before it is too late to do so.
Morrie had an unmistakable knack for reaching through to the human essence of every individual he befriends. He was even able to deconstruct Koppel, broadcast nation-wide on ABC-TV's "Nightline", who was a thick-skinned national celebrity. He did so by asking Koppel what he feels is "close to his heart". Love is his main method of communication. Just as he reached Koppel through his thick celebrity skin.
He sees that Mitch who was a man with a good heart had surrendered his sense of self to the beliefs of popular culture, and urged him to reclaim the kind, caring young man he once had been at Brandeis. Mitch had surrendered his dreams of becoming a musician to dreams of material wealth and professional success. In telling Mitch stories of his life experiences and personal beliefs, he taught him to reject the corrupt mores endorsed by popular culture in favor of his personal, ethical system of values. He did not immerse himself in the media, but instead invested himself in people and their potential to love.
Morrie also chose to react against popular cultural norms in his acceptance of his own debilitating disease and imminent death. He had lived and loved to his fullest extent, and was intent on continuing to do so as he dies. Having always lived as a fiercely independent man, it was difficult for him to rely on others for all of his basic needs, though he refused to be embarrassed by his physical shortcomings, and tried in earnest to enjoy "being a baby again". In his childhood, he has been deprived of love and attention, and now that he is once again reliant on others as he was in his infancy, he thrives on the love and physical affection provided by his friends and family.
As I watches Morrie die, I realizes that I wanted to die knowing that I has lived my life to its fullest extent, certain that I had loved and forgiven himself and others as often and as sincerely as I could. I saw in Morrie the man he aspires to be, a man who values love over money, and people over tabloid gossip and superficial vanity. It is because of Morrie's influence that he is able to change my own life and outlook to become more like his professor, his mentor, who has encouraged me to be loving and kind since my reading, when I talk with a veneer of toughness. Only Morrie can penetrate the toughness that has grown around my heart, which I ultimately succeeds in doing.
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