Tuesdays with Morrie

It would undoubtedly be an eternal blessing to any human being, to have ever had a teacher as understanding, as encouraging, as inspiring and as devoted as Morrie. I’ve always believed that being a teacher is an extremely respectable occupation. They play a critical role in one’s character building, and will continue to enlighten and support us along the way leading to our eventual self-recognition. They are like a prospering oasis in the boundless desert, a lighthouse on the stormy ocean. No matter what wrong we’ve done, they will never abandon us.

This book never ceases to astonish me in every way possible. Not only does its topics relate to life and death, but to the splendid journey in-between as well. It spoke of truth, emotions, family and forgiveness in such a genuine and ardent way that from the moment I browsed through its pages, I couldn’t help but to fall in instant love with it. There is a question that has been posed twice by the author, Mitch Albom, in this book: “Have you ever really had a teacher? One who saw you as a raw but precious thing, a jewel that, with wisdom, could be polished to a proud shine?” There could only be self-definable answers. To me, the answer is yes. I had an English teacher in elementary school. She gave me the opportunity that I had long been craving for, a chance allowing others to see me, to hear me. I became a representative of the school in an English competition, and made my way to the finals. Had it not been for her continuous support, I might never have had this experience in a life time. To this, I owe her more than anything.

There are those who believed that “Life is about letting go.” Before I read this book, I thought this was simply a philosopher’s way of defining the meaning of life. But now, it suddenly dawned on me that this might in fact be the truth. We live our lives to its fullest: accomplish all our goals, develop interpersonal relationships, satisfy our thirst for knowledge, pass the wisdom we’ve obtained on to our next generation, contribute to society…; and after all these things are fulfilled, then, and only then will we have the capacity of truly letting go.

I was completely overwhelmed by the frankness and open-heartedness in the way that Morrie confronted death. In the face of his disease (ALS), he chose neither to submit, nor to lose faith. He didn’t even fight against this incurable illness, having known that it would be futile. Instead, he made peace with it. He embraced the fact that he will eventually, and soon, pass away. By doing so, all the bloodcurdling images and the stress caused by intense fear of death seemed to evaporate into thin air. He had chosen to devote the remaining days of his life to something far greater than cowardice or dread. He passed his wisdom, values, warmth, compassion and love further on to this world. He saw this as a chance of educating those close to his hearts, since it’s either now, or never.

I personally found this book to be an impeccably calming one. Never before do I hold such an open attitude towards death and the afterlife. Morrie was right. Death is not the end. It is just the beginning of another unpredictable yet eye-opening adventure. Although I still think that death is as incomprehensible and abstractive as it sounds, at least now I’m allowed a better insight into the inevitable destiny of all mankind.

Life is short. Make it count by completing the most trivial of things and to leave no regrets. I’m not sure what I would have done if I were the one suffering from ALS and was depending on the last thread of life that kept me barely alive. All I know is that I wouldn’t be as brave and calm as Morrie did. But, does it matter? That’s why we’re still here in this world, getting ready to be trained into actual warriors, fearless to all means of challenges and adversities. Whatever it is out there, I have the confidence in claiming now, that I will be ready for it. Ready to embrace frustration, ready to learn more from life, ready to conquer and be conquered…with this seemingly endless routine, which seems to go on forever.