Tuesday’s …

 

Photo of Morrie Schwartz-Picture Credits: the-room.co.uz

I recently revisited a book in which I was forced to read in High School. I can vividly remember receiving the e-mail that instructed us to use our precious summer vacation to gouge our eyes out by reading this book and develop arthritis in our fingers as we violently scribbled words on to the paper in which we wrote our book report. Needless to say, those violent nouns previously used were simply what I thought my experience would be like. Today I would like to share some of my thoughts on a book that I choose to hold very dear and near to my heart. Although, I will NOT be giving any spoilers just know that this 200 paged book is worth every moment of reading it. If you are anything like me, the book will move you so much that you will not put it down until you FINISH reading it, even if it means staying up all night. I wish I could make sure everyone reads this book , but unfortunately I cannot. However, one thing I can assure you is by reading this book your soul will purge, your heart will be pure and your spirit moved by the simple words typed along the eggshell pages of Mitch Albom’s “Tuesday’s With Morrie.” Morries philosophies apply to my life in every element and know there are others out there whom lives these aphorisms appeal to as well. Here I would like to share some of those.

On Forgiveness, Morrie states: “It’s not just other people we need to forgive, Mitch,” he finally whispered. “We also need to forgive ourselves.” Ourselves?” Yes. For all the things we didn’t do. All the things we should have done. You can’t get stuck on the regrets of what should have happened. That doesn’t help you when you get to where I am… Make peace. You need to make peach with yourself and everyone around you.”

This quote speaks to me every time and has helped me FORGIVE others as well as myself. I tend to be a person with a big heart and those who surround me seem to be fascinated with my big heart more than me myself. I have learned to forgive those people. and am still forgiving those people. I have not been the ideal person myself, but regardless of if the people I have hurt forgave me or not, I have forgiven myself. I am leaving those events, people, memories in the past and moving forward with a clean conscious and heart.

on Peace, Morrie says: “The problem, Mitch, is that we don’t believe we are as much alike as we are. Whites, Blacks, Catholic, and Protestants, men and women. If we saw each other as more alike, we might be eager to join in one big human family in this world, and to care about that family the way we care about our own. But believe me, when your dying, you see it is true. We all have the same beginning — birth– and we all have the same end — death. So how different can we be? Invest in the human family. Invest in people. Build a little community of those you love and who love you.

In my growth I have learned to take heed to these words. when I first read the book, this was one of the quotes that I thought was valuable but never applied it to my life, simply because I thought I was surrounded by those people. However, through growth and maturity and events that have transpired throughout the world simply out of hate has opened my eyes to how true this statement is. no one is really any better than the next. we all bleed the same red blood, we all are born to live and die and that’s as simple as it is. but by investing in people you can learn so much, and you never know what you might be teaching someone. I have take steps to treat everyone genuinely and most importantly the way I want to be treated. I spend my time with those I love, not those who I think I love or come around for a season.

On Aging: Mitch, I embrace aging. It’s very simple. As you grow, you learn more stuff. If you stayed twenty-two, you’d always be as ignorant as you were at twenty-two. Aging is not just decay, you know. It’s growth. It’s more than the negative that you’re going to die, it’s also the positive that you understand you’re going to die, and that you live a better life because of it.” Yes, I said, but if aging were so valuable, why do people always say, “Oh, if I were young again.” You never hear people say. “I wish I were sixty-five.” He smiled. “You know what that reflects? UNSTATISFIED LIVES. UNFULFILLED LIVES. Lives that haven’t found meaning. Because if you’ve found meaning in your life, you don’t want to go back. You want to go forward. You want to see more, do more. You can’t wait until sixty-five. Listen. You should know something. All younger people should know something. If you’re always battling against getting older, you’re always going to be unhappy, because it will happen anyhow.”

All I will say is, thank God for growth, maturity, those who have “been there, done that, got the big trophy”.

On culture: “Dying,” Morrie suddenly said, “is only one thing to be sad over, Mitch. Living unhappily is something else. So many of the people who come to visit me are unhappy.” Why? “Well, for one thing, the culture we have does not make people feel good about themselves. We’re teaching the wrong things. And you have to be strong enough to say if the culture doesn’t work, don’t buy it. Create your own. Most people can’t do it. They’re more unhappy than me– even in my current condition. I may be dying, but I am surrounded by loving, caring should. How many people can say that?”

I believe at one point in time we all followed the culture. As for me I separated myself and chose not to be a follower anymore. I don’t care what anyone says and my life is golden. Like morrie said when I stopped buying the culture I found myself surrounded by positivity and passion from those whom I love most. We are way too caught up in loving materialistic things that do not satisfy our soul. Instead we ignore and take for granted the universe around us, and those people that surround us.

These are just a few of Morrie’s amazing aphorisms that are not only powerful, and apply to those in his shoes that are facing death, but they have just as much  meaning to those living. I encourage everyone, especially our younger generations who are faced with more in life than my generation ever was, to read and take heed to this book. There is so much purposeful meaning, that simply broadens your outlook on life.  I tend to sit and encounter Morrie many times a year (so many I cant count) and many people ask me “Why do you read that book so many times & you practically know it word for word?” My answer? there are many. I gain a lot of personal comfort from this book. When I’m having bad days I might just pick up the book and read a phrase or two, and it gives me that  soothing perspective that I need to carry on. I may not pick it up again for months but its the feeling of clarity e and understanding of my situation that I receive from it. By doing this, the impact that the information has lasts.   Another reason that I continue to read the book over and over again is because every time I read it, I take a new understanding from something or catch something that I may have missed. Also, by reading this book so many times it allows me to be a voice and share Morrie’s thoughts and aphorisms amongst my peers.  Most importantly, I wish Morrie were still here to water the seed he planted and left.

until we meet again,

Thanks, Jewell