This book was a great book. I really enjoyed reading it. It was one of those books that I read even when I didn’t have time to read it. I think I liked the book because it was more than a story. It was an example of a man who not only lived his life to the fullest, but was determined to teach others to do that in the process. He was a selfless man filled with qualities that I only aspire to have. Morrie had a true passion to help Mitch become a better person. Even on his death bed, Morrie was a teacher. When Morrie and Mitch talked about the world, I felt I was Mitch. I could relate to how he felt. When Mitch inferred that Morrie need not be concerned with the world since he was dying, didn’t he have better things to worry about?

I wasn’t as astounded that Morrie cared as I was with what he had to say about it. Morrie said he could relate to their suffering. He could feel for people across the world and then he cried. Morrie had compassion beyond belief. I had to stop and think, “Would it take me until I was dying to have true compassion for other people?” I sure hope not.
I looked forward to each upcoming Tuesday, as I’m sure Mitch did. I just knew that day I would learn something new. On the second Tuesday, Morrie talked about feeling sorry for himself. He said he cries in the morning and then he’s fine. I felt awful reading this because I so often feel bad for myself for stupid things. Not only do I feel sorry for myself, I feel sorry for myself all day. Morrie has much more to be pitied and it only takes him an hour to do it. He’s so selfless, something which I desire to be, but have yet to fully reach.
The third Tuesday I was shocked that Mitch wanted to use the tape recorder. I felt that he was using Morrie, that he was using Morrie in to some kind of specimen. Morrie said it was fine because he wanted someone to hear his story and I truly felt that Morrie was honest in telling him that he didn’t mind. Morrie was the kind of guy who would have said something if he was offended.

The fourth Tuesday Morrie talked about death. I must say that before I even read the chapter I thought about what I felt about death. I’m not scared to die, I’m scared of dying. I know that in the final moments before I pass I will relive what my life has meant and I will miss my family and friends, but there is a greater thing waiting for me on the other side. My faith sustains me in this question. I truly feel that if I had no belief in heaven than I would fear dying so much more. Everyone knows that they are going to die someday. That’s no surprise, death is inevitable. When is the big question? Morrie talked about the little bird on your shoulder that reminded you that one day it will be your turn. Morrie said if you let the bird control you, you won’t be as ambitious as you are. ! Morrie was right. I know that I’m going to die one day, but if I allow that thought to consume me I am only hurting myself. I can understand I will die and put that in the back on of mind and focus on living each day to it’s fullest, whether it’s my last or not. I don’t want to look back on my death bed and say “I only really lived half my life.” I shouldn’t think about dying in order to live, I should think about living in order to die.

I didn’t even want to read the fifth Tuesday. It was about family and there is so much going on in my family right now that I figured it would only stir up feelings and emotions that I didn’t want to have right now. Morrie said something about ! family and that struck me. He said “This is part of what a family is about, not just love, but letting others know there is someone watching out for them.” I’m at a stage right now in my family life that just saddens me and makes it hard for me to love at times. But then I have to realize that they are my family give or take bad circumstances. The same is true with my friends. It’s hard to love people sometimes, but being part of any group or society is really just an affirmation of your respect and willingness to protect each other, as it is a sign of love.

Every Tuesday I seemed to learn something different from Morrie. I could go on forever about each one that followed, but I’ll just touch on the ones that totally changed my way of thinking. When I got to the ninth Tuesday I was overwhelmed to hear that “Nightline” wanted to do another segment on Morrie. I thought to myself, “How much of a dying man can a network take?” Then I thought about what an honor that must be to Morrie, that a man of Ted Kopel’s caliber wanted to be a part of his life, maybe it was just for profit but none the less, Morrie had become someone that people all over the country wanted to know. More than that, the more Morrie talked about dying, the more I became aware that he wasn’t happy about it, but at the same time, he wasn’t all too sad. He knew that with or without him on this planet, his love that poured from him and loved that poured to him would still be present. He wanted his loved ones there as he died. He wanted them to know that his love would prevail.

I felt like Morrie’s life was never coming to an end. For as sick as he was, he was so healthy. For as weak as he was, he was so strong. After the third “Nightline” installment, Morrie’s life turned deadly quick. As Mitch and Morrie said good-bye, I felt that I was saying bye to my friend too. I knew how hard it must have been for Mitch—Morrie had saved his life.
If this book taught me anything, it was that life is so much more that what I’m living. For everything bad that happens, something good happens. For every failed relationship, there is a flourishing one. For every time of loneliness, there is overflowing love. My desire after reading this book is to grab each moment of my life and hold on to it. Understand that some bad things happen, some good things happen.

Life is life. It’s a game- but it can’t be won and can’t be lost, It can only be played. So I vow to play. I want to strive to play as fair as I can. I want to be a good sport, suck up a lose and not boost at a win. I want to understand that a prize is something to be cherished, but a failure is only a building block. Morrie taught me that, Morrie taught me the true meaning behind a word that is as standard to my vocabulary as my name—he taught me LIFE.