Summary

Tuesdays with Morrie is a book based on the real life story of Mitch Albom and his professor Morrie Schwartz. Its based on the narration of how the curriculum, the syllabus and classes were conducted. It talks about life lessons a 'Coach' gives to his pupil. 

This life lesson is taught and learned through the final cross over of bridge of life that Morrie walks and 

Mitch is studying him closely. 

Mitch is writing his thesis and it is Morrie's project to help him teach the syllabus. Its their last project together. And, its Morrie's last project before he meets his end. Book starts with the narration of curriculum, student and the teacher. It goes on describing life of Mitch and his dreams after graduation. His forgotten promise of staying in touch with his professor Morrie. 

Through the course of life, Mitch has transformed to a guy chasing tangibles in exchange of his dreams. He earns a lot of them and constant feats to overcome the fears and insecurity that his culture has given him. He is accomplished and in demand sports columnist with Detroit Press and has belief  taking control of life, until he stumbles upon 'Nightline' show which featured his old professor Morrie with Ted Koppel. 

At the same time, narrative goes about Professor Morrie and the little stories in the flashback. It’s a beautiful story which share perspectives of life, death and everything in between. The style of writing is beautifully intertwined with main story narration, some flash backs , some contextual stories and some reflections. 

Few early questions in the chapters are enough to question your self and your existence on earth?

For me the first question that jolted me was when Morrie asked him.

"Do I wither up and disappear, or make I make best of my life left?"

Further this book is about the fourteen Tuesdays that Mitch spends with Morrie and the lessons he learnt, and are articulated in this book. This book is not only tribute to the life of Morrie and his way of giving back but it also helped Morrie's family financially for the medical bills. 

Through the journey of fourteen Tuesday, they talk about Love, Regrets, Forgiveness, Culture, Life, Death, Money, world, marriage and much more.

"Taking makes me feel I am dying, Giving makes me feel like I am living. Giving makes me feel, I am living." -- Morrie Schwartz

Reflection

As I read, I am in habit of highlighting the sentences and lines I connect with. This book has surely drawn a lot of meaning and connect with me at an individual level. Specially, when I am going through most traumatic phase of my life and I read large portion of this book during the intense turmoil within me. 

At first, I questioned my self am I am being sadist reading book of a dying man when a part of me is dying too?

But, just a few pages later I could build connect. 

Reading first few pages of the book is based on accomplished life of a American guy who is renowned sports columnist; But Morrie's terminal illness and his spirit to live of whatever is life is left changed the entire purpose and meaning of the book. 

I would quote and few of Morrie's aphorisms, some questions and some lines to summarize my learning and reflection of the book. By the end of reading the book, I had seen lot of things shifting within me and beliefs changing. 

What happened to me? was the second hard hitting question first one I have already mentioned of in the summary part of the review. 

Each of both questions are reflected upon by Morrie and Mitch, but I saw them I sequence for me. As a coach is asking me these questions through my sessions. 

Writing this review this is coming alive in me now.

"Do I wither up and disappear, or make I make best of my life left?"

This question gave me the strength I required to pass through the days I was going through. And, so the reading continued. Other question, made me look back at my own journey and look at present when I am resisting the resistance of my change. 

Questions that Morrie asked his old pal Mitch-

• Does he have someone to share his heart with?

• Is his giving back to community?

• Is he at peace with self?

His response to all these questions

Dying is one thing and living unhappily is something else

I myself have been on the Mitch side in this narrative and I am sure most of us would be. But do we have enough strength to come on the other side?

I have always felt my self to be a cultural misfit, but the having said so, we tend to reject the notion of culture and aloof ourselves. At least that’s what I have done. Reading Morrie's perspective challenged my strength of not owning it but creating a culture, building a community of your own. Not, being a  rebel but strong enough to choose what makes meaning for oneself. 

Need of a coach in your life is imperative, this I learnt from this book and could relate it back with another book - The Last Lecture. I wish to have a coach for my son, as parent I may not be able to reach my son many a times but can I have a crucial place filled by a Coach. 

Reading this book, has given me a strong sense of purpose to give back to my community in whatever way possible - time, listening, trust,  they can add so much value too

This becomes imperative for me because now I feel the birdy sitting on my shoulder and in here and now, I asking it

"Is today the day? Am I ready? Am I doing all I need to do? Am I being person I want to be?

And the answer for me is

To learn to live, one must learn to die.

This is not possible with out a teacher, a coach and for me Morrie comes as a coach asking all crucial questions through this book. 

I am amazed at the vision of Morrie on his death bed and his efforts till last minute to make most of what he could of his life. The Un-dimmable spirit.

The role of a coach and teacher, vision of extending your classroom beyond the four wall and a campus of university not when one is alive but when one is gone. 

I am summarising my reflections with my instinct learnings but this book may have some more and different meaning every time I would turn a page.