Tuesdays with Morrie

“Tuesdays With Morrie” is the story of Mitch Albom’s relationship with his college professor, Morrie Schwartz. Mitch had not been in touch with Morrie for 16 years. One night while watching TV Mitch was surprised to see his old college professor being interviewed byTed Koppel on the “Nightline” programme about what it was like to die from Lou Gehrig’s Disease. Mitch felt both horrified and ashamed. He had shared a wonderful relationship with Morrie as his professor but had made no effort to see him since he had graduated. Immediately he made contact with his old professor and friend, flew to Boston for a reunion, and began to visit Morrie on a weekly basis. During their weekly visits Mitch quickly became aware that not only was he rekindling his relationship with Morrie but that he was also tackling a larger subject, the meaning of life.

TY’s:

  • As we are reading about Morrie’s way of dealing with his approaching death, add a comment referring to some of your favourite quotes or key moments, please.
  • Now that you’ve finished your project on a mentor in your life, add a comment saying what you learned about your mentor or from your mentor.

20 thoughts on “Tuesdays with Morrie

  1. I found Tuesdays With Morrie a great book! I had finished it before the end of the first week of school. I have three favourite quotes from the book.
    “Forgive yourself before you die. Then forgive others.” Pg 82
    “Once you learn how to die, you learn how to live.” Pg 166
    “Death ends a life, not a relationship.” Pg 174
    This book gives a lot of very useful life lessons. Some people find the book depressing because they see Morrie slowly die from Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis, I however found the wisdom that Morrie gives extremely useful for life.
    Mitch Albom really does portray Morries’ advice well and you see his words as advice from a wise man who has gone through everything in life and knows exactly what he is talking about. I would highly recommend this book and you never want to put it down. It’s a race from the front to the back cover.

  2. Robert, thanks for your super and very inspirational response. It is clear that you have understood the deeper insights that can be gained from this book. Well done!

  3. “We all need teachers in our lives.” I chose this quote, because it is real. Not only in school you need a teacher. You need a teacher for any thing in your life. From the first second of your life to your last second of your life you have somebody who helps you in your situations. I really love this Quote and hope everybody loves this Quote like me.

  4. I can see why people are inspired to change their life from after reading “Tuesdays with morrie ” but sadly i was not among them although i can see why they are.
    Some of my favorite quotes from the book are

    ” don’t cling to things because everything is impermanent “(p.103)
    “aging is not just decay ….its growth” (p.118)
    ” whats wrong with being number 2″ (p.159)

    It is inspirational to see this elderly man, on the brink or death by ALS, instead off sitting around and awaiting his imminent fate he tries to pass on the wisdom he has acquire from his age onto a younger man who still has to learn how to live and not to get caught up in fame and fortune.

  5. “The truth is, Mitch, once you learn how to die, you learn how to live.” – Morrie Schwartz

    Thats exactly what this book is about: learning how to live your life to the best you can. Morrie is constantly preaching these aphorisms to Mitch, and there is a lot to be learned from them. People often say that this story is a sad one because Morrie dies slowly, yet Morrie is totally accepting of his impending demise. He just wants to spend what little time he has left helping others. “I’m on the last great journey here, and people want me to tell them what to pack”. If you really get into this book and pay attention to what Morrie has to say, you can really improve your attitude to life. It’s a book that I would definitely read again. Great book, great message.

    R.I.P. Morrie Schwartz.

  6. Jonas, Seán and Matthew:
    Thank you for your insightful comments.
    You’re right Matthew, it’s not just a story about someone dying slowly – it’s about ‘accepting who you are and revelling in it.’
    Seán, you certainly don’t have to change your life, but it’s good that you see why some might be inspired to do so. Jonas, I think you chose a great quote. We all need people to lead and guide us at every moment of our lives.
    Well done all of you.

  7. I thought “Tuesdays with Morrie” was a very inspirational book because Morrie Schwartz learnt how to deal with motor nueron disease and clearly said “we are all going to die at somtime in our life” . Mitch was a very good help because at Morrie’s time of suffering , Mitch was there to support morrie through his illness and that really showed how much of a friend Mitch was to Morrie. Overall i thought this book was excellent because it was all about friendship, support and understanding.

  8. Tuesdays with Morrie was a great book and was very inspiring and when you read it you see why it touches so many people. Its amazing how Mitch who was once a lively young adult gets a boring life but then when he starts meeting Morrie he changes his life bit by bit every week and learns more about life.
    My favourite quotes where:
    “The truth is, Mitch, once you learn how to die, you learn how to live”
    “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.”
    “Don’t hang on too long, but don’t let go too soon”
    Another thing I thought that was amazing was how Morrie handled knowing that he was dieing and what he wanted to do with what little time he had left.

  9. i really liked tuesdays with morrie it shows that something as small as being nice to some one when u see them can make you remebered for ever my favourite quote was when he said what he wanted on his head stone “a teacher to the last ” i liked this quote because it sums up morrie even when he was barely able to breathe he gave mitch time and information for what morrie called there last thesis also i liked the quote morrie said “when im dead come and talk to me at my grave and i will listen” i really liked this book i would recommend it and i would read it again

  10. I have to agree with matthew on this one as my favourite quote is also:
    “The truth is, Mitch, that once you learn how to die, you learn how to live.”
    Morrie knows this as he has lived his life (since he was diagnosed with his condiition) gradually dieing slowly as he was not able to live his life properly when he was alive, when he dies he will be free. Morrie is trying to tell mitch to have no regrets in life. Don’t live your life wondering what you could have done, but what you can do in the future.
    People who have reed this book feel it is depressing but in my eyes “Tusdays With Morrie” is a great book that should really inspire young people to read.
    If i had to mark this book out of ten i would 100% give it a ten as it gives a great message.
    Excelent book excelent read thank you Mitch Albom.
    Kieran Bowers

  11. I have read the book “Tuesdays with Morrie” and found it very interesting. As the book is based around life choices and how to live your life, I think that an old experienced man suffering from ALS is the best person to come to for advice because he has seen life, has lived and is facing death. Mitch Albom has also portrayed the advice very well. One of my favourite quotes would be “once you learn how to die, you learn how to live”, I chose this qoute because i find it to be very true with my own experiences. To be content with ones self and ones achievements is being ready to die in my view and when achieved one can really start living! Mitch Albom has also portrayed the advice and the life experience of Morrie Schwarz very well. I would definitely recommend this book, it’s a real page turner but with an inevitably sad ending.

  12. ”You need people at the start of your life to take care of you and you need people when like me your at the end of your life but here’s the secret:In the middle you need people too”

    I thought Tuesdays with Morrie was a beautiful,moving book. It really gave me a different view on death and i recommend the book to everyone . Morrie was one of life’s special people. He is a teacher even to me and of coarse Mitch. The book explains how in a nutshell: Love is the most important thing and that life can be as happy and as full of joy as you allow it to be.

  13. Conor, Liam, Joe, Ciaran, Kieran and Kate – thank you all for your comments. You have all shown a great understanding of the central message of the book – the meaning of life. Well done.
    The quotes you chose are all very apt, but in particular I love one that Ciaran McG chose – ‘The way to get meaning from life is to devote yourself to loving others….’

  14. I finished “Tuesdays With Morrie” and i found it very good. I enjoyed most of the book even though it has a depressing theme, death. Even though the book is about looking on death in a different way it still is sad in some ways. My favorite quote is probably “When you learn how to die, you learn how to live” i like this quote because it sums up the main message of the book in one sentence. I also believe it’s true, people don’t live their life to the fullest unless they know when they are going to die.

  15. I think Tuesdays with Morrie gives great insight on how quickly change can occur in our lives, we see this in the book when Morrie goes from being a lively, active person to being wheelchair bound, knowing he can die at any moment. The way Morrie deals with this change is what I find most inspirational about this book.

  16. I read through TWM in the course of a study because I couldn’t put it down. I have a few favorite quotes;

    “There is no foundation, no secure ground… if it isn’t family.” p. 91.

    “Love each other or perish.” p. 91

    “Don’t cling to things, because everything is impermanent.” p.103

  17. I have to agree with Ruairi. I don’t think people truly understand the opportunity of life which has been given to them until they are finally confronted with the fear of death. That was my favourite quote in the entire book. What I really loved about TWM is Morrie’s attitude through the whole book, he knows his faith is coming yet he stands tall and puts himself to good use.

  18. I’m a bit late but sure i might as well comment..

    I really enjoyed TWM as i found it quite an inspirational book. It makes you want to go out and live your life to it’s fullest. Morrie is a man of great courage , which can be clearly seen in the book , with his attitude towards life and death.

    My favorite quote would have to be “once you learn how to die , you learn how to live” .. i like this because it’s something i agree with , because you if you don’t know how to die , you’ll be scared to live happily as that fear will always be on your mind..

  19. Matthew, it’s never too late to comment.
    Thank you for your thoughtful response. I am glad that Morrie’s experience and wisdom has made a good impression on you. You have interpreted one of his key aphorisms very well.

  20. I had read TWM, to be honest it was a book that i really enjoyed a lot because it changed me in a lot of things to view life, to enjoy everything and it has the idea that one day everyone is going to die.
    And live everyday as if it was the last one.

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