Tuesdays with Morrie is a runaway bestseller by Mitch Albom.
Acknowledgments
The author expresses gratitude to numerous individuals for their help in creating the book, including:
Charlotte, Rob, and Jonathan Schwartz
Maurie Stein
Charlie Derber
Gordie Fellman
David Schwartz
Rabbi Al Axelrad
Morrie's friends and colleagues
Special thanks to Bill Thomas, the editor, and David Black, for their support.
The author is most thankful to Morrie for their last "thesis" together, indicating the collaborative nature of the book.
The Curriculum
The last class of the professor's life occurred weekly in his home by a window where he observed a hibiscus plant losing its leaves.
The class met on Tuesdays after breakfast and focused on the meaning of life, taught through experience.
No grades were given, but oral exams were conducted weekly, requiring responses and questions from the student.
Physical tasks, such as adjusting the professor's head or glasses, were required.
Topics included love, work, community, family, aging, forgiveness, and death.
The final lecture was brief, and a funeral replaced graduation.
A long paper on what was learned was expected, and this book represents that paper.
The class consisted of only one student, the author.
Graduation took place in the late spring of 1979 at Brandeis University, Waltham, Massachusetts.
The author met Morrie Schwartz, his favorite professor, and introduced him to his parents.
Morrie was a small man with a striking appearance, including sparkling eyes and thinning silver hair.
The professor told the author's parents, “You have a special boy here.”
The author gave Morrie a tan briefcase as a present, not wanting to be forgotten.
Morrie said, “Mitch, you are one of the good ones,” and hugged him, crying.
The Syllabus
Morrie's death sentence was given in the summer of 1994.
He realized something was wrong when he gave up dancing, which he had always loved.
Morrie enjoyed dancing to various music genres at a church in Harvard Square called “Dance Free.”
He danced energetically, not caring about partners or appearances, until sweat dripped down his back.
He developed asthma in his sixties, leading to labored breathing and a hospital visit.
Later, he experienced trouble walking, stumbling and falling, which he knew was more than just old age.
Medical tests, including blood and urine tests and a muscle biopsy, revealed a neurological problem.
In August 1994, Morrie was diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), or Lou Gehrig's disease.
ALS is an unforgiving illness of the neurological system with no known cure and is terminal.
The doctor provided information on ALS as Morrie and Charlotte grappled with the news.
Morrie was stunned by the normalcy of the world around him after receiving the diagnosis, feeling as if the world should have stopped.
As the disease progressed, Morrie lost his ability to drive, walk freely, and eventually undress himself.
He hired a home care worker named Tony to assist him with swimming and other activities.
In the fall of 1994, Morrie taught his final college course, risking suffering in front of his students.
He informed his students about his fatal illness and gave them the option to drop the course.
ALS melts your nerves and leaves your body a pile of wax, often starting with the legs and working its way up, eventually leading to breathing through a tube.
Morrie's doctors estimated he had two years left, but Morrie knew it was less.
Morrie decided to make death his final project, becoming a human textbook to be studied in his demise.
He would narrate his journey between life and death.
Therapy, nurses, and massage specialists became regular features in his life.
He met with meditation teachers, focusing on his breath to shrink his world down to a single breath, in and out, in and out.
After falling in the street, Morrie exchanged his cane for a walker.
He began to urinate into a beaker, needing assistance to hold it.
Morrie was open about his condition, even asking colleagues for help with personal tasks like urinating.
He hosted discussion groups about dying, sharing his thoughts and inviting others to share their problems.
He wanted to prove that dying was not synonymous with uselessness.
After a colleague's sudden death, Morrie organized a "living funeral" where friends and family paid tribute to him.
His "living funeral" was a success, allowing him to hear heartfelt things we never get to say to those we love.
The most unusual part of his life was about to unfold.
The Student
The author admits to losing touch with Morrie and most college acquaintances post-graduation.
Post-graduation, the author's early dream was to be a famous musician, but after facing rejections and band breakups, the dream soured, marking his first experience with failure.
At the same time, his uncle died of pancreatic cancer at 44, deeply affecting him and making time seem precious.
After his uncle’s funeral, the author earned a master's degree in journalism and became a sports writer.
He worked tirelessly, driven by a fear of ending up like his uncle, who hated his corporate job.
He moved to Detroit as a columnist for the Detroit Free Press and quickly advanced in his career.
The author wrote columns, sports books, and appeared on radio and TV, becoming part of the media thunderstorm.
He achieved financial success, buying a house, cars, and investing in stocks.
He married Janine after a seven-year courtship but quickly returned to work, postponing starting a family.
Instead of family, he buried himself in accomplishments, believing he could control things and squeeze in happiness before dying, like his uncle.
He rarely thought of Morrie, dismissing university mail as fundraising requests.
One night, while flipping through TV channels, the author heard something that caught his ear.
The Audiovisual
In March 1995, Ted Koppel from ABC-TV's “Nightline” visited Morrie's home.
Morrie was now in a wheelchair full-time and had trouble eating, but he remained optimistic, jotting down his philosophies on life.
He shared these "aphorisms" with friends, and one of them sent them to a Boston Globe reporter, leading to a feature story.
The headline read: A Professor's Final Course: His Own Death.
A producer from “Nightline” brought the article to Koppel, leading to a visit from the TV crew.
Morrie insisted on checking Koppel out before agreeing to the interview.
Morrie asked Koppel about his heart and his faith and shared personal stories.
He also admitted to having seen "Nightline" only twice, saying “I thought you were a narcissist.”
For the interview, Morrie refused fancy clothes or makeup, believing that death should not be embarrassed.
Morrie explained how he decided to live with dignity, courage, humor, and composure, even in the face of death.
Koppel asked about the humility that death induced.
Morrie stated Well, one day soon, someone's gonna have to wipe my ass.
The program aired on a Friday night, with Koppel asking, “Who is Morrie Schwartz, and why, by the end of the night, are so many of you going to care about him?”
The author heard these words and was taken aback.
The author recalled his first class with Morrie in 1976, noticing the books, the rug, and the small class size.
Morrie asked the author if he preferred Mitch or Mitchell and expressed hope that one day they would be friends.
The Orientation
The author drove to Morrie's house in West Newton while on a call with a TV producer, focused on work.
He saw Morrie in a wheelchair with two other people and froze, feeling unprepared for the reunion.
Despite this, he continued his phone call until it was finished, tending to work while his dying professor waited.
Morrie hugged him warmly, saying, “My old friend, you've come back at last.”
The author made up an excuse for his delay, feeling guilty.
Morrie wanted to feed him, and they sat at the dining room table, where a helper brought food and pills.
Morrie told the author that he was dying and asked if he should tell him what it's like.
The author recalled his freshman year, where Morrie was older than most teachers and he was younger than most students.
Morrie didn't care much for grades and once gave all his male students A's during the Vietnam War to help them keep their student deferments.
The author began to call Morrie Coach, the way I used to address my high school track coach.
Sometimes they ate together in the cafeteria. Morrie, to my delight, is even more of a slob than I am.
The whole time I know him, I have two overwhelming desires: to hug him and to give him a napkin.
The Classroom
The author and Morrie had been talking for nearly 2 hours. The phone rang yet again and Morrie asked his helper, Connie, to get it.
Morrie seemed to have a lot of friends and the author was impressed with, perhaps even a bit envious of, all the friends that Morrie seemed to have during our visit.
You know, Mitch, now that I'm dying, I've become much more interesting to people.
People see me as a bridge. I'm not as alive as I used to be, but I'm not yet dead. I'm sort of … in-between.
I'm on the last great journey here–and people want me to tell them what to pack.
Morrie wasn't the best student who had left him sixteen years earlier. Had it not been for “Nightline,” Morrie might have died without ever seeing the author again.
This time was an excuse for the author and Morrie back to college when the author thought rich people were evil, a shirt and tie were prison clothes, and life without freedom to get up and go motorcycle beneath you, breeze in your face, down the streets of Paris, into the mountains of Tibet–was not a good life at all. What happened to me?
Morrie began to wonder about the peace of the author within himself as the two friends approached death.
The eighties happened. The nineties happened. Death and sickness and getting fat and going bald happened.
I traded lottery dreams for a bigger paycheck, and never even realized the author was doing it.
Yet here was Morrie talking with the wonder of our college years, as if the author had simply been on a long vacation.
Morrie began to wonder if the author had found someone to share this heart, give to the community, be at peace, and be a human.
I once promised myself I would never work for money, that I would join the Peace Corps, that I would live in beautiful, inspirational places.
Instead, the author had been in Detroit for ten years now, using the same work place, same bank, same barber.
Coach, the author said suddenly, remembering the nickname. Morrie beamed. “That's me. I'm still your coach.”
Dying is only one thing to be sad over, Mitch. Living unhappily is something else. So many of the people who come to visit me are unhappy.
Culture we have does and does not make people feel good about themselves. And you have to be strong enough to say if the culture doesn't work, don't buy it.
In Morrie's presence, the author almost magically serene and calmed the author down as was done back in college.
The author thought about changing his reservation home, then Morrie said, “You know how I'm going to die?” The author was surprised. The author raised his eyebrows.
I'm going to suffocate. Yes. My lungs, because of my asthma, can't handle the disease. It's moving up my body, this ALS. It's already got my legs. Pretty soon it'll get my arms and hands. And when it hits my lungs
-The author was in the mood to change planes and to get out of there. Morrie had plenty to say. Mitch, you mustn't be afraid of my dying. I've had a good life, and we all know it's going to happen. I maybe have four or five months.
-The author was taken aback how quickly the news, but the situation was at hand for each friend.
When the doctor first asked me to do this, I could reach twenty-three. Now it's eighteen.
Come back and see your old professor, Morrie said when Morrie hugged him good-bye.
-“Have I told you about the tension of opposites?” he says. The tension of opposites?
-Love Side Wins
Taking Attendance
The author flies all the way to London a few weeks later and has been thinking of Morrie whenever the author reads anything silly or mindless.
In a strange way, I envied the quality of Morrie's time even as I lamented its diminishing supply.
According to Morrie, the way you get the meaning into your love is from your devoted others in the community. Not that the author did anything about It.
The newspapers has gone on site. As a member of the union, the author has no choice and was unemployed.
On my first visit after calling Morrie, Morrie was glad the author called. What the author did to the the university where he used to work was very nice and thoughtful.
The First Tuesday We Talk About the World
At this time period during the visit, many thing had changed. One such as going to the bathroom had taken longer. Also wiping was something he knew something very soon he would be taken care of.
As Connie took the plates away, I noticed a stack of newspapers that had obviously been read before I got there.
Now that I'm suffering, I feel closer to people who suffer than I ever did before.
Is this okay with you, isn't it? A Man crying?
Amazing , I thought. Morrie had an amazing grip and hold onto friends
Yes. After all, I get to be a baby one more time. There was a man standing the hallway.
This is how many strange things happened before one thing great.
If the author got in touch with the visit, maybe things would get on the mind more often.
Then too, his mind on earth seemed to to give a way and draw the author with all that as much.
Men in their mind would have this. Tuesday has always been our day together. Most of Morrie's resources were spent during the time period, going over each project.
-The author was taken over and ready to go, mentioning the time that had already gone by with eachother.
The most important thing in life is to learn how to give out love, and to let it come in .
The Second Tuesday We Talk About Feeling Sorry for Yourself
The author went to Chicago and detoured from bread and circus which were the good things. On the other side of the spectrum, the newspaper situation had not improved and had grown to become very insane.
The author was very caring during these times because compassion was a topic that his professor really enjoyed.
Most of that was for his small army and the food that he brought along the journey of life. The author felt like it was like robbing a friend. It wasn't very clear because he couldn't lift the bell and it got frustrated when he couldn't make it work.
The author didn't offer it and he was shocked that Morrie and the crew didn't say anything about his issues as a human being.
It was only horrible if you see it that way. It's horrible to watch my body slowly wilt away to nothing. But it's also wonderful because of all the time I get to say good-bye.
As they worked, it moved the author in a way The author cannot describe, except to say the author felt the seeds of death inside his shriveling frame, and as laid him in his chair, adjusting his head on the pillows, the author had the coldest realization that their time was running out.
The Third Tuesday We Talk About Regrets
By bringing the tape, it was the authors way of keeping his memories on tape. As this time was very valuable the author wanted to capture his teachers essence throughout the long time.
While he was making the tape, it was a reminder of when the world was young and easy. But as this tape started to roll, the moment felt even as pure as it was and never was. The recorder was more than nostalgic back when the author was younger and it might have meant more during college.
The author should say that a lot of different thoughts went around and circled. Such as the author should work during the process or more often so that the author could know whether it was a good way. The author never worked better and never gave or felt so tired about those issues.
If some mystical clarity of thought came when you looked death in the eye, then I knew Morrie wanted to share it. Before the author met, The author found his way towards something very high when all The author wanted was little of all the times. Was the author being the teacher, or how would make the author a good student?
There seemed a deep want and and a need for something not able to die. And some ways to see that the author had all the same sad thoughts than the uncle did to the author. Having editors that needed help in the copies or having his stories snatched.
In a well placed way to think, death has always been the best thing that the author has missed before so, It was important for their relationship.
The Fourth Tuesday We Talk About Death
You can actually be more involved in your life while you’re living. For others in your life make decisions whether you want to help or not. Then go do your business when you feel like having yourself. For our sake, that could be the whole world to be in that part, but now, this does not work for the world we know it.
This is an excerpt of what was said after one big moment before being about to. “So we kid ourselves about death.” the author claimed.
“Do what the Buddhists do. Every day, have a little bird on your shoulder that asks, 'Is today the day?” “Am I ready? Am I doing all I need to do? Am I being the person I want to be?' Then go back into your office. Or watch. You do all do business in your dreams you.
How can you prepare to die in this form? Well you must live life to see what happens. How can Morrie teach that kind of topic being an old man with nothing.
After talking, it was time to go and to get the author way. When the author took the chance for some people after doing a story the author could take it, maybe in return.
The Fifth Tuesday We Talk About Family
It seemed wrong and as the season went on with my old professor did not have a class for him as a college professor.
Boston at every autumn had turned into a college town where students unload everything new.
-I think, in light of what we've been talking about all these weeks, family becomes even more important.
-There is no situation to stand with security if it isn't a family. Its very apparent with me. He wanted to be very supportive for others with his mind and with respect but as not to keep or give to others.
The Sixth Tuesday We Talk About Emotions
Morrie's wife, Charlotte, met the author with a lilting voice as he walked over to their doors.
It wasn't easy for Morrie to sleep throughout the time for their class. And in his way, it was their special talent to touch the family so the emotion was great. I needed to be alone, The author said to myself.
After the two had talked for a small bit, There were lots of pills and medical instructions.
What I'm doing now, is detaching myself from the experience. He continued through so much great pain that he did it too help better.
You are not afraid as you should be because you do not show it. There are other emotions, and the author wants you to see them. The emotion. Step away.
The Seventh Tuesday We Talk About the Fear of Aging
Morrie now realized that it was the most awful part of his life as the author talked to him again, As a matter of fact the disease had progressed as well the the two became well known
The author said nothing and kept going to show, the author could not hear all that before him.
In a normal manner too that this body could and didn't do to his family
I looked at Morrie and I suddenly knew why he so enjoyed my leaning over and adjusting his microphone, or fussing with the pillows, or wiping his eyes. Human touch. At seventy-eight, he was giving as an adult and taking as a child. Later that day, the two talked
-It's very simple. As you grow, you learn more. If you stayed at twenty-two, you'd always be as ignorant as you were at twenty-two. Aging is not just decay, you know. It's growth. It's more than the negative that you're going to die, it's also the positive that you understand you're going to die, and that you live a better life because of it .
The Eighth Tuesday We Talk About Money
I held up the newspaper so that Morrie could see it:I Don't Want My Tombstone To Read “ . I Never Owned a Network”
The way to look what you want doesn't necessarily mean you be rich you want to buy big property. The way to take a chance to be good and respect. Is all part of culture
In a very real way, and you will have the one chance. and you won't do anything. There you will make yourself better. Money and Power are those that wont help you . People do not like or enjoy seeing those that were friends and helped. Not at all.
In conclusion, you do to not need to be that tall or small to make a big point. Its you alone what you truly love and see inside your world of your family. The most amazing things are always there so its how you make it and think in your heart. There, now you have someone.
The Ninth Tuesday We Talk About How Love Goes On
After this has gone On, There has been a problem The author was told The author was a little nervous. As the author drove, the traffic were amazing, just the sound in the morning had a calming tone that was very cool. The story has now gone down the hill.
I have been trying for sometime to talk.
The author has never said such a thing, the author and it shows during all points with all his life.
This time, there were tears as the people spoke about what they had and now will lose to the world. It just took for sometime.
They was not a call coming
The new world did come the author told this time. And after the whole time coming The author really like it from the old man was very pleased and said well done son.
I do not and have no plan this but it what I am going to do from this time on.
The Tenth Tuesday We Talk About Marriage
It was on to the test to see and do all the points from the past and the most good out that the test can be had. In the end and to save all points that matter would be great and what can be done
You are to see something and find great in yourself. This time with so much pain, everyone will find in themselves
And which side the author has. The author then said in the end the best parts will be gone to the top to reach at the most needed time to get through and go home with those points.
In the same and equal right, This will help guide a family or a good amount but in the whole good luck.