Tuesdays With Morrie by Mitch Albom

From Goodreads,

"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."

Goodreads - Tuesdays With Morrie

Favorite quote from Tuesdays With Morrie,

"The most important thing in life is to learn how to give out love, and to let it come in."

When I was in high school I really found my love for reading.  I went to a small high school and was blessed to have one of the most amazing literature teachers ever.  She helped me become a better writer.  I still remember having red marks all over my paper because I needed to do a better job.  I took everything she taught me and I have carried that with me into life.  Once I got to college I was very thankful I had been in her class two years in a row, because it honestly helped me survive all the papers I had to write.  She also introduced me to books that I would never dream of picking up.  Books such as In Cold Blood, The Great Gatsby, and even Tuesdays with Morrie.  I still remember to this day how the book was taught to us.  We would do round table discussions where we would move our desks into a big circle.  Each student was assigned a chapter and we had to discuss the meaning with the class.  I still remember the chapter I had, and even what I discussed.  I first read this book in 2009 or 2010 and I loved every moment of it.  I was constantly encouraging my Mom to read this book, but she never took the time.  A few years later my niece was in her literature class when they read this book.  We talked about it and sure enough, she loved it too.  My mom was convinced she needed to read it sometime.  During the summer of 2017 my Dad was admitted to the hospital.  I told my Mom I would pack anything she needed or wanted and bring it to her.  She asked for some books and I ended up packing Tuesdays with Morrie.  I still remember sitting in the ER room with my parents.  My Dad was resting, while my Mom and I were sitting by the door.  The lights were off in the room and all we had was the light from the hallway.  I sat and read the book to her and I remember us whispering and discussing the book.  I left the book with her and a few short days later she had finished it.  I decided I would go ahead and reread the book because it was summer and I didn't have much else to do.  It had been a while since I read it and I figured it would be fun to reread a book I enjoyed so much when I was younger.  I am so glad that I read it because there was so much that I took away from this book now that I'm at a different place in life.

This book is about Morrie Schwartz who was a professor at Brandeis University.  There he taught many students including Mitch Albom.  They were great friends while Mitch was in college and they always got together on Tuesdays.  Once Mitch graduated he got busy with life as a sportswriter and he lost touch with Morrie.  But one night, Mitch saw Morrie on TV.  Morrie was being interviewed on Nightline, which is when Mitch found out that Morrie had ALS.  They reconnected and Morrie decided to teach one final class where Mitch was the only student.

My favorite thing about this book is that there is SOOOOO much life advice in it.  There is something for everyone.  Mitch and Morrie talk about life and death, love and marriage, money and emotions, family and aging.  There's something that everyone can relate to.  But the secret to this book is that it isn't a "preachy" book.  It doesn't tell you what to do to save money or how to handle emotions.  This book is conversations between two very real people.  One person is well experienced at life and knows the end is coming, while the other realizes that he has life ahead of him with plenty of time to make changes to how he is living his life.  When I finished this book I was definitely asking myself if I was truly living life the way that life should be lived.  We live in a world where we are constantly on our phones, and I'm very guilty of this.  We don't ever take time to enjoy the friends and family who are around us.  We don't take time to enjoy what is around us in nature.  This book made me realize the faults in my own life and it made me really try to strive to live life to the fullest extent, because you never know when your time is up.

My favorite quote from this book was, "The most important thing in life is to learn how to give out love, and how to let it come in."  We live in such a hate filled world.  We don't show love to each other.  We are at a place in the world where school shootings are becoming a normal in life, and I take this personally because I'm a teacher.  When they are describing the shooter you typically hear the words "loner" or "depressed".  What if someone in this world had showed them a little bit of love and compassion?  What if they had let love in?  Would we still be in such a hate filled place?  I like to think that we would have a better understanding for each other and we would be more willing to help each other.  There have been times when I've had a bad day and I go through the drive thru and I get a little snotty.  Is it their fault I had a bad day?  What if they are also having an equally bad day?  Everyone has something going on in their life and we all need to be a little more understanding and compassionate.

A lot of Morrie's beliefs were to let love in and live life to the fullest.  I know I personally struggle with loving everyone all the time, because sometimes you have a bad day.  I know that I don't live life to the fullest.  There are times when I trudge through the week looking for the weekend.  I need to change my perspective, and thankfully this book has started putting that into motion.  I loved this book the first time I read it, and I loved it even more the second time.  I give this 5 out of 5 stars and recommend it to anyone and everyone!