Published by Doubleday on 18 Aug 1997
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Maybe it was a grandparent, or a teacher, or a colleague. Someone older, patient, and wise, who understood you when you were young and searching, and gave you sound advice to help you make your way through it. For Mitch Albom, that person was Morrie Schwartz, his college professor from nearly twenty years ago.
Maybe, like Mitch, you lost track of this mentor as you made your way, and the insights faded. Wouldn't you like to see that person again, ask the bigger questions that still haunt you?
Mitch Albom had that second chance. He rediscovered Morrie in the last months of the older man's life. Knowing he was dying of ALS--or motor neurone disease--Mitch visited Morrie in his study every Tuesday, just as they used to back in college. Their rekindled relationship turned into one final "class": lessons in how to live.
This book was on my TBR since middle school. It wasn't until recently that I finally swiped up a copy of the book from a secondhand bookstore for $2 and got around to reading it.
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.
Currently, I feel very lost in life and this book gave me a lot to contemplate. All I want is stability and independence, yet here I am reading a book on why and how love and relationships are what give life meaning. I think I was having too many debates in my head for the full emotional impact of this book to hit me as it seemed to hit many other people. My eyes did sting at the end though (as opposed to some of my friends who told me they cried after every chapter).
Death ends a life, not a relationship.
This is a short book that I would recommend to anyone. Even if it doesn't make you cry, it'll give you some things to think about, and maybe inspire a change in your life. Live your life well so that you don't leave with regrets.
Read this book instead of wasting water with the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge.
