Tuesdays with Morrie

We all need teachers in our lives. We all need someone to probe us in the right direction. Teachers not only teach us knowledge, but also teach us lives. Unlike career skills, personal development may seem useless for us to survive, but it is very important for us to enjoy our life and leaves no regrets. And the happiness is the most precious thing in the world.

The story was about a teacher, Morrie, who taught mental health in college, suffered from amyotrophic lateral sclerosis in his seventies. After knowing that he had only few months to live, the professor felt very depressed at first. But the loving relationship maintained him. He realized that he must made good use of his last precious time. Thus, he tried to forget the illness and pain, devoting himself to listening and helping others to solve their problems. The author was one of the professor’s favorite students, and Morrie was his favorite teacher, too. Though the author had been graduated for few years, he still came back to take care of his teacher. No books were required, yet many topics were covered, including love, work, community, family, aging, forgiveness, brief and death. The last fourteen Tuesdays, Morrie taught the author the life’s greatest lesson with his own life experiences.

What is life, and what is death? A Chinese teacher, Confucius, believed that if people did not understand the meaning of life, then people couldn’t have known what death really mean; however, Morrie had his own opinion on death. He said, ‘Once you learn how to die, you learn how to live.’ People have not found meaning I their life, so they are running all the time looking for it. If someone knows that he or she is going to die, then he or she will be careful to avoid wasting his or her time. And thus, he or she will finally realize that how precious the life is. How sad it is── If people believe that they may die in every moment, I think that people will cherish every issue and every occasion. Regretfully, most of us know that, seldom buy it. The truth is, the more we think of others, and the more we feel the happiness of life.

‘Love each other or perish.’ I believe that love is the greatest thing in the world. ‘It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.’ Because of love, we can feel warmth. Love also supports us to face challenges in our life. Love never fails. In spite of terrible diseases and challenges, on account of love, the professor did not fear of death; instead, he was brave enough to ignore it, try his best to help others, and love others.

Henry Adams once said, ‘A teacher affects eternity; he can never tell where his influence stops.’ The lessons that Morrie had taught us may seem useless for us to get good grades or find a job, however, it did bring many people a more meaningful life. Like what the author wrote in the book, on contrary to business and law students, Morrie’s student may not make much money or win many cases; but how many business or law students ever visit their old professors once they leave? Morrie’s students did that all the time. And in his final months, students from all over the world, called, wrote, and came to see their professor. And that’s why I thought Morrie was a really success teacher: He not only taught knowledge, but also his life. He always tried to help others, and shared his experiences with them with all his heart. One who can win others’ respect, not because of his fame or wealth, but because of his sincerity. Morrie is dead, but he lives on in spirit.