Tuesdays with Morrie – Life Lessons from the Deathbed

Tuesdays with Morrie – Life Lessons from the Deathbed

As students we get to learn from so many teachers. Teachers reveal us the secrets of leading a successful and disciplined life by aiding us through improving our knowledge and skills. But very few of us have been blessed with the guidance of sagacious mentors who possess both the richness of experience and words of wisdom. Moments spent under their tutelage can dispel all confusion by instilling a greater sense of clarity. But imagine such a precious person on his final sojourn to death, taking out a few minutes to impart his blessings in the form of life’s valuable learnings. What would you give to earn such an opportunity? Tuesdays with Morrie introduces us with such an interesting situation in which its author Mitch Albom gets to experience the final moments of his mentor Morrie Schwartz. Though written 27 years ago, Tuesday’s with Morrie has earned the bookshelves of millions of admirers who time and again revisit its passages which have a timeless magical appeal. 

The book is based on the author Mitch Albom’s many Tuesday sessions with his graduate school professor, who after being under the grip of ALS, delivers his valuable final lessons for one of his good students. The book progresses through the different sessions and also flashbacks of Morrie’s lifetime. Mitch explains through the pages his growing relationship with his teacher, who in his final days was flooded by the constant presence of well-wishers and friends – all consoling and greeting him hoping his steady recovery. But Morrie, who initially fought a tough battle with the disease, slowly sees his essential functions like walking and breathing, wither away. His loving wife Charlotte is his constant companion, who attends to him for most of his daily chores. 

The book starts with the spring of 1979, when Mitch used to be a college student at the Brandeis University. Morrie was his favourite professor, who teaches him social psychology. In the first few chapters the book delves into the unique bond that Mitch Albom develops with Morrie Schwartz during those days. At Mitch’s graduation he introduces Morrie to his parents. “You have a very special boy here,” says Morrie. Mitch promises he’ll stay in touch, but he doesn’t.

Mitch who is a sports journalist, speaks about his career post-graduation, and how he got busy climbing the ladders of success, giving less thought to life’s meaningful and essential questions. In 1995, Morrie is interviewed by Ted Koppel on ABC’s Nightline, and Mitch sees him on TV. He decides to reconnect with Morrie. Morrie refers to Mitch as his old friend and gives him a warm welcome. Morrie, whom his admirers adored with the epithet – prophet, was a constant mentor and support to many of his students. Mitch would visit Morrie on Tuesdays with a warm welcome from the old man, sometimes assisting him with his tasks and rekindling their old bond. 

Mitch keeps record of all of his conversations with Morrie, as he embarks on fulfilling Morrie’s wish of completing their final thesis, which is Morrie’s life lessons from his deathbed. What surprised Mitch about Morrie was that despite such severe condition, he never felt dejected or depressed. His gentle humour and loving presence, fills the pages of the book with extraordinary grace. Morrie’s sermons to his friends, which now included Mitch, were his “aphorisms” which he shared with them from the repository of life’s experiences. 

Morrie took his final days in unravelling the mysteries of death. To him, death was indeed a sad event, but on the contrary many people are alive and unhappy. “I may be dying, but I am surrounded by loving, caring souls. How many people can say that?”, Morrie explained his situation. With each passing Tuesday, Morrie’s health deteriorated, but he remained steadfast in his commitment to his student Mitch, which was reciprocated by Mitch as well. As time passed, Mitch begins to envy the quality of time he spends with Morrie, compared to anywhere else, and laments its diminishing supply. The reason behind it was Morrie’s wise temperament that peered through life’s perplexing questions. Morrie shared that his life was centred around the idea that the culture we have does not make people feel good about themselves. And one has to be strong enough to say if the culture doesn't work, he/she won’t buy it. From this understanding, and his background as a professor of social psychology he had started his own mental health services for the poor, named project Greenhouse. In Mitch’s words, Morrie had created a cocoon of human activities–conversation, interaction, affection–and it filled his life like an overflowing soup bowl. He earned a growing number of admirers, friends and well-wishers, who kept in touch with him till his last days on earth. Morrie in his final days experienced that the most important thing in life is to learn how to give out love, and to let it come in. Accepting others love for us is necessary, as many times we feel that we don’t deserve it. He adds by stating that love is the only rational act. Mitch asks Morrie whether he felt sorry for his present ailing condition. To this Morrie replies that he was grateful for having the chance to say goodbye to life. 

The book briefly discusses Morrie Schwartz’s childhood. Morrie lost his mother when he was 8 years old. The chapter titled the Professor tells the many incidents that lead Morrie towards becoming a teacher. Mitch quotes - “A teacher affects eternity; he can never tell where his influence stops.” In subsequent chapters Morrie gives his perspective on family, emotions, fear of aging, marriage and his perfect day. He explains the importance of family in the times of need, and how it nurtures an individual. In their conversation on emotions they discuss how accepting one’s emotions helps to detach from it and hence not being affected by it. 

As an example of Morrie’s sense of humour, when Mitch asks him about reincarnation, he says he does believe in it. He gives a witty reply, that he would love to be a gazelle in his next life, considering its agility, something which Morrie missed a lot in his ailing condition. In the chapter on ageing, the book delves into how growing old is similar to being a child again. Morrie doesn’t buy society’s obsession with the youth. To him, youth is a very miserable condition, as one has all capacity but very little understanding of life. And embracing ageing, is to understand that you learn more as you grow. 

Imparting his wisdom on money, Morrie states that real satisfaction comes from offering what you have to give, rather than accumulating wealth. As the final few Tuesdays come to fore, Morrie speaks about love, marriage, society and his perfect day. He expresses how he feels sorry for Mitch’s generation, which is unable to commit to marital vows. As per Morrie, a successful marriage requires mutual respect to last long. As the book comes to conclusion, Mitch summarizes his final thesis with Morrie, his “coach”, who delivered his final lesson on the meaning of life, taught from his own experience. 

The 200-paged book is an interesting light read, which along with taking us through some of the common questions of modern world society, doesn’t fail to entertain by its gentle humour. The book stands out in its presentation of an intense and fearful situation as death, with admirable poise and acceptance. It questions the status quo, but in a friendly way, without unnerving its readers. Morrie proves to be a cordial teacher, who teaches Mitch as an affectionate friend, always ready to welcome his many questions.