5.0 ⭐

GENRE - NON FICTION

SPEECHLESS!!!!!!!!

What a great way to start 2022...

The courage of a dying man

For the sole purpose of making this review worth something as a stand-alone essay, I'll assume that you, the reader, like me, are one of the few people who didn't know what TUESDAYS WITH MORRIE was all about.

Twenty years before the actual events of the book, Mitch Albom had the privilege of struggling through a university sociology course under the tutelage of a special and very talented teacher, Morrie Schwartz. Despite progressing well beyond a mere student/professor relationship into a deep friendship, despite bestowing on Morrie the endearment "Coach", and despite his promise to stay in close contact after graduation, Morrie, like so many other self-centered graduates, went his own way in the world. He lost track of someone who had been very special to him and it was only a television news interview that let him know his past friend was now dying of ALS, Lou Gehrig's disease.

TUESDAYS WITH MORRIE depicts the 14 Tuesday afternoon visits that Albom made to his dying mentor and relates the substance of the conversations that they had about the vicissitudes of life and death before Morrie's death at the unrelenting hands of the implacable neurological disease that stole his mobility and even his very ability to breathe.

I wanted to like TUESDAYS WITH MORRIE ... I really did! But, while I was moved and often deeply touched as I read it, I also knew that there was something nagging at me that left me unsatisfied with the book! It took me quite a while before I figured out what it was.

Insofar as Morrie's ability to deal with his own ill health and his inevitable death was concerned, I was profoundly moved and singularly impressed. His ability to look at the silver lining of every cloud, to constantly perceive every glass as half full instead of half empty, to always find a reason to celebrate the entirety of his life as opposed to decrying the pain and the miserably small amount of time left to him was truly inspiring.

But I found Albom's ability to pass along the nuggets of wisdom in a fashion that would allow a reader to apply them to their own life looking forward (a life, that is, not looking down the barrel of a shotgun of death sawed-off virtually to the shoulder) was distinctly lacking. Platitudes and aphorisms were plentiful but I found them maudlin and distinctly lacking in meaning or method that could be applied. "Be at peace with yourself" ... well, yes, of course, but HOW does one do that? He would tell us that "love" is the answer! Well, for goodness sake, the Beatles told me that over 40 years ago! Well, you get the idea!

So, how do we find this particular glass half full? Let's say I thoroughly enjoyed the story of Morrie's pluck and courage in the face of his own slow death but found little to constructively apply to my own life.

Paul Weiss

I have never written a review like this before but this book truly inspired me.

So I just finished reading "Tuesdays With Morrie". What a wonderful book, I couldn't put it down! I cannot even imagine going through the last stages of my own life and being as brave (for lack of a better word in my head right now) as Morrie. He was filled with such happiness and joy in his own life. He had regrets but realized that it is ok as long as you can reconcile with yourself in the end. I'm not the type of person to find quotes in the literature I read. However, as I turned page after page through this book and submersed myself into the text I was reading I found myself getting out of bed in the middle of the night to find some post-its only to tag so many different paragraphs and pages that inspired me or had me think about things in my own life.

The idea of detaching oneself from emotions just baffled me. I myself fell in love and was heart broken in the end. I felt, and sometimes still feel, that I never want to experience such pain and heartache again. But Morrie says it best "If you hold back on the emotions - if you don't allow yourself to go through them - you can never get to being detached, you're too busy being afraid. You're afraid of the pain, you're afraid of the grief. You're afraid of the vulnerability that loving entails. But by throwing yourself into these emotions, by allowing your self to dive right in, all the way, over your head even, you experience them fully and completely. You know what pain is. You know what love is. You know what grief is. And only then can you say, 'All right. I have experienced that emotion. I recognize that emotion. Now I need to detach from that emotion for a moment.'" Who would have thought it is ok to show emotions as long as one does not stay with that emotion for too long.

Another quote that I find so enlightening... "In the beginning of life, when we are infants, we need others to survive, right? And at the end of life, when you get like me, you need others to survive right?... But here's the secret: in between, we need others as well." This line in the book had me stop and think about everything I have in my life rather than anything I am "missing" in life. WHy should we focus on not having that special someone when truly many of us have multiple people in our lives who care for us and will be there for us in the end. Although Morrie does go on to say that everyone should find that love to marry. But why do we need to? I know that there are people who would take care of me later in life. Those that will be there for me always. While I hope to find my "true love" I still am blessed for those I have met in the past to years. I am only ashamed that I never saw them sitting right there in front of me until I read this book. Thank you for being there for me everyone! And, I hope for many more days spent with all of you and even more people to share my life with.

“Love wins, love always wins.”

And what a lovely sentiment for a book with such a hard hitting and evocative theme of death, and in particular ‘dying’, but it is also a celebration of life.

A book that will touch you in the right way, will encourage you to think and reflect on life and death. Perhaps this may sound too upsetting to read - may be for some people at any time, for others at specific times but for most it will inspire, hearten, and evoke a range of emotions.
However, it is deep but not overly sentimental. It talks about death but also so much more to be grateful about in life, and a book that will prod you emotionally and to think about things that are important in us all.

The storyline

Morrie, a professor and perhaps a scholar has been diagnosed with a degenerative illness that, through, the course of the book sees him decline in health and movement until he resigns himself to a wheelchair. However, his wonderful mind never deteriorates. His wit is sharp, his advice sound and his love of life is something to celebrate.

He uses the last months of his life to share his experience of dealing with a terminal illness to help others, and particularly to one of his proteges, Mitch. In so doing, he provides such rich and poignant quotes for us to muse over, contemplate and embrace, such as…

“So many people walk around with a meaningless life. They seem half-asleep, even when they're busy doing things they think are important. This is because they're chasing the wrong things. The way you get meaning into your life is to devote yourself to loving others, devote yourself to your community around you, and devote yourself to creating something that gives you purpose and meaning.”

Review and Comments

When I read the reviews on this, I had mixed feelings about reading. Was I going to feel this too dark and depressing? or was I going to relish in the opportunity to read a powerful story with such a stirring premise?.

The answer is - I was between the two camps whilst reading this novel. At times this was an incredibly compelling novel about someone dying and their reflection on what was important whilst on the other hand, I wanted a little more from the messages. That is until I finished and contemplated the book, the themes, the messaging, the teachings, and the man. It was from that I came to love this book which has indeed pitched everything perfectly.

The book was beautifully crafted to incorporate the balance of death versus life. Yet it wasn’t about death it was the importance and beauty of life. Simple, tender, delicate, humorous, even entertaining, optimistic, and extraordinary.

Some great quotes:

"How useful it would be to put a daily limit on self-pity. Just a few tearful minutes, then on with the day."

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

I didn't know this book was a memoir when I picked up this book. I wasn't even consciously looking for this book. It's one of the books in my sister's collection. I picked it up because I needed some kind of motivation/inspiration to live life again with zeal. But what this book offered me was something I wasn't expecting from it.

This beautiful small book is divided into 27 small, concised chapters. It's written in a very simple style but dang, it's the kind of simplicity that would destroy you because it reaches you straightaway.
It talks about a retired professor who is suffering from a terminal disease. It's how he takes this inevitable journey till the end seeing it from a very different perspective from that of someone else's who would be in the same shoes as he was.
He wants to document this journey with the people he cared about. This journey deals with the misconceptions and doubts about ageing, death and illnesses. It deals well with the concept of social relationships and the various relationships in one's life. It's highly likely for anyone to become withdrawn, self-conscious and constantly bitter with such a condition but this old professor thought about doing something different and utilise his remaining time to be grateful and let the people in his life know what they mean to him and what difference they have made in his life.

The greatest lesson this memoir taught me is that our spirit dies earlier than our actual death.

And this is the first ever book (fiction or nonfiction) that I am reading about an old person who has accepted themselves as how they are wholly, and this is the first book which represents the various psychological issues that old people face so vividly.

No, he wasn't in denial regarding what's happening with him.
Instead what he chooses to do is reach out & talk about the world as a whole, when most of us do is feeling sorry for ourselves, keep having regrets, busy playing blame games.

The issue of dealing with death is the main highlight of this book.

The book talks about family, aging, money and marriage. There are parts where it talks about the basic human emotions, the relations we have and the culture we are thriving in.


This is one gem of a book! It made me cry, laugh but made me realise so many amazing truths about life & human nature.
There is nothing in this book that makes you feel like you are not a part of this book.
This book made me feel at home right away.
Reading this book is like talking with someone who has accepted life with all its flaws & blessings. Even though I cried a lot at the end, it was while I was accepting everything how the book was going to end, and about real life.

I am sure I am going to reread this book after a decade. Made me cry tears of realisation about many things about our mortal lives.

Tuesday With Morrie by Mitch Albom
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I just finished listening to the audiobook of “Tuesday With Morrie”. The first thing I’m going to say is everyone should read this incredible book. The insight and knowledge that Morrie shares is beyond words. Morrie has made me look at myself and helped me to realize how much more fulfilling I can make my life now and in the future. I wish I had read this amazing insightful book years ago and reread it every free years.

Gue memasuki tahun 2013 ini tanpa daftar. Hanya beberapa catatan penting yang sederhana. Tidak banyak, tapi semoga bisa tetap bertahan sampai di akhir tahun.

Tahun lalu, gue bersemangat mencoba banyak hal baru, dan berniat memperkaya pengalaman dengan menantang diri sendiri untuk melakukan lebih banyak hal. Jadilah gue membuat daftar.
"27 daftar dari hal-hal yang ingin gue lakukan sebelum gue berusia 27 tahun."

Sebagian dari daftar ini terlaksana. Sebagian lagi tidak.
Sebagian lainnya tidak terselesaikan. Tapi tidak apa. Gue puas. Karena yang sedikit itu jauh lebih berarti daripada tidak sama sekali. Ya kan?

Jadi apa itu berarti gue akan menjelang bahagia dengan memiliki lebih sedikit keinginan di awal tahun ini?

Tidak. Karena kenyataannya, gue takut.
Tahun ini gue akan berumur 28.
My biological clock is ticking. And I wish I could stop it. Freeze it. Or anything.

Rasanya seperti menyusuri lorong gelap yang lembap, dengan pakaian setengah basah, kedinginan, kelaparan, meraba-raba, dan sendirian. Pelan-pelan, berharap bisa melihat cahaya entah dari mana saja.

Kemudian tanpa prasangka apa-apa, buku ini lah yang gue baca di awal tahun ini.
Pelajaran tentang makna hidup.

Dan kemudian, hal ini yang tersampaikan langsung kepada gue:
n  

Kita tahu bahwa penuaan tidak hanya berarti pelapukan, tetapi juga pertumbuhan. Penuaan tidak hanya bermakna negatif, bahwa kita akan mati, tetapi juga makna positif, bahwa kita mengerti kenyataan bahwa kita akan mati dan karena itu kita berusaha untuk hidup dengan cara lebih baik.

Jika kalian bersikeras melawan proses penuaan kalian akan selalu merasa tidak bahagia, karena bagaimanapun itu akan terjadi. p. 126

n
Dan gue mengamini itu semua. Menua berarti kebijaksanaan untuk memahami mengapa kita ada. Terima kasih, Morrie.

Gue takut kalau salah satu dari orang yang gue sayang mungkin tidak akan ada untuk menutup tahun 2013 dan menjelang tahun 2014 bersama gue.
Atau malah mungkin gue yang tidak akan ada lagi untuk menyambut tahun-tahun lain kehidupan gue di dunia ini. Yah, namanya umur kan ngga ada yang tahu.

n  

Mengetahui bawa kita akan mati, dan bersiap diri andaikan hal itu terjadi entah kapan. Itu lebih baik. Dengan cara demikian sesungguhnya kita dapat lebih berperan dalam proses yang terjadi sementara kita masih hidup. (p. 86)

n

Gue suka sekali dengan "upacara pemakaman" yang diadakan Morrie untuk dirinya sendiri dimana ia masih bisa mendengarkan eulogi yang disampaikan oleh orang-orang terdekatnya disaat ia masih hidup. Itu merupakan salah satu hal luar biasa yang gue dapatkan juga dari buku ini.

Kemudian, gue takut sendirian.
Bukan bicara status, tapi serius, dalam beberapa aspek kehidupan, gue ngga lagi nyaman dengan kesendirian. Gue benci dengan masa lalu yang mengantarkan kesendirian ke hadapan gue. Gue benci pernah disingkirkan. Dan pada akhirnya, setelah semua emosi itu tak lagi bisa diluapkan, ia mengerak, mengendap, menolak untuk dilenyapkan.
Satu-dua kali, gue menangisi diri sendiri. *ih sumpah gue jujur banget sih *sigh*

n  

Aku memberi kesempatan kepada diriku untuk menangis kalau itu perlu. Tapi setelah itu aku memusatkan perhatianku kepada segala hal yang masih baik dalam hidupku.
Setiap pagi kubiarkan diriku menangis sedikit, tapi hanya itu. (p. 61)

n
Oh. Begitu rupanya. *menghela napas lagi*

Mengawali tahun yang baru dengan sederet ketakutan tersebut, gue mungkin bisa menampilkan kesan bahwa gue tak pedulian dengan itu semua. Tapi kalau boleh jujur, mengingkari perasaan sendiri bukanlah hal yang menyenangkan.

Makin kesini gue makin sadar, bahwa pengalaman memang penting.
Tapi bagaimana bila seandainya, atas nama "pengalaman", yang selama ini gue lakukan sebenarnya hanyalah berusaha mengenyahkan ketakutan-ketakutan itu satu-persatu?

Membaca buku ini, gue jadi memahami: Keseimbangan itu penting. Keseimbangan yang gue cari adalah bagaimana gue bisa memperkaya diri sendiri dengan pengalaman, sekaligus memperkaya batin.

Menyelesaikan buku ini seperti menikmati lagi hangat matahari setelah berhari-hari kita terkurung di dalam badai.
Gue menemukan pencerahan. Semangat. Bahwa ada jauh lebih banyak hal-hal baik dalam hidup. Hal-hal baik yang selama ini mungkin luput dari perhatian karena kita begitu terbiasa dengan kehidupan.
Hal-hal yang tak lagi terdengar, karena hiruk-pikuk rutinitas yang selalu berpacu dengan waktu. Yang hanya bisa didengarkan, apabila kita memang benar-benar mau mendengarkan.
Akhirnya, perjalanan gue di lorong gelap itu berakhir.

Buat gue, Mitch Albom beruntung. Morrie pun beruntung. Dan gue juga beruntung.
Satu-dua typo tidak jadi masalah. Anehnya, beberapa kesalahan pengetikan itu justru malah menguatkan sosok Morrie yang digambarkan oleh Albom di dalam buku ini. Karena seperti itulah Morrie. Dengan segala ketidaksempurnaannya. Tapi begitu kaya.
(Walopun sebenernya yang harusnya ngurusin typonya mah kan editor atau proofreadernya ya. Ngga ada urusannya ama Morrie langsung sih..)

Tidak banyak buku yang mampu menghadirkan kehangatan di dalam hati gue setelah gue selesai membacanya. Buku-buku yang bisa menyembuhkan lewat kata-kata. Sejauh yang gue ingat, cuma Aleph dan Tiket Emas Kehidupan yang dulu mampu begitu.

Sungguh, banyak hal yang gue pelajari, renungkan, tangisi, dan resapi di dalam buku ini.

n  

"Aku percaya dengan manfaat kehadiran yang seutuhnya," kata Morrie. Artinya kita harus bersama orang yang sedang kita hadapi. Ketika aku berbincang denganmu sekarang, Mitch, aku mencoba tetap memusatkan perhatianku hanya kepada yang sedang kita bicarakan. Aku tidak berpikir tentang sesuatu yang kita obrolkan pekan lalu. Aku tidak berpikir tentang apa yang akan terjadi Jumat besok. Aku tidak berpikir tentang penampilanku nanti bersama Koppel, atau tentang obat-obatan yang sedang aku minum.
"Aku sedang bercakap-cakap denganmu. Maka aku berpikir tentangmu."

n

Begitulah.
Rasa-rasanya semesta memang berbicara dengan cara yang rahasia. Tanpa bisa kita duga. Dan terlepas dari bagaimana kita menerjemahkannya, kita harus percaya bahwa ada kekuatan besar yang sudah mengatur semuanya agar bisa berjalan sebagaimana mestinya.

Dan apalagi semangat terbesar untuk menghargai semua yang ada, jika itu bukanlah semangat untuk menjalani hidup kita sepenuhnya, semaksimal mungkin?
Apalagi semangat terbesar untuk menghargai semua itu, jika itu bukanlah dengan mensyukuri semua yang kita punya, sampai hal sekecil-kecilnya, dan kenyataan bahwa kita begitu kaya untuk terus bisa berbagi dengan sesama?

Maka ini juga lah yang menjadi salah satu semangat terbesar gue di tahun ini. Masih bisa berbagi, salah satunya melalui kata-kata.

Jadi, seperti apa semangatmu untuk menjalani hidup ini? Apa yang bisa kamu mulai di awal tahun ini? Mari berbagi :)

n  A man said “I want Happiness.”
The key to Happiness is simply remove “I”, because that’s ego. Then remove “want”, that’s desire.
See? Now you are left with only Happiness.n

Ugh, it was like stapling together eighty greeting cards and reading them straight through. Hate.

How to die in peace with how you’ve lived.

میانگین ریتینگ چهار و خرده ای؟ شوخی میکنین:)))
کتاب قراره در مورد ملاقات های هفتگی یک دانشجوی سابق با استاد سابق که در بستر مرگه، و مباحث-به قول خود کتاب- "هستی شناسانه ای" که بین این دو مطرح میشه باشه. انتظار یک کتاب پر از جملات کلیشه ای و شعاری میره ازش قبل از خوندنش.
اما چیزی که نود درصد کتاب رو تشکیل میده شرح رفت و آمد دانشجوی سابق به خونه ی استاد، ماشین سوار شدنش، خرید غذا از سوپر مارکت برای استاد، وسایل روی پیشخوان آشپزخانه ی استاد، تعداد پرستارهای استاد، وخامت حال استاد، تعداد سرفه ها و وضعیت تنفسی، وضعیت مزاجی استاد، وابستگی حرکتی استاد به دیگران و... است:| حالا وسط این سرفه ها و خم و راست شدن ها به کمک پرستارها استاد یک جمله ی نه چندان قابل توجهی هم میگه. تو فصل خانواده میگه خانواده خوبه، وگرنه کی الان کنارم بود در بستر مرگ. تو فصل عشق میگه عشق خوبه، اینجوری آدم زنده میمونه حتی بعد از بستر مرگ. همینجوری الی آخر.
وسطای کتاب که بودم اینجا نوشتم تا الان مثل مقدمه بوده همش. و خب تا آخرش مقدمه موند؛ مقدمه برای بحث و حرف اصلی ای که اصلا وجود نداشت اساسا:))

همین که پیرمرد قصه یه جورایی نفسش از جای گرم بلند میشد خورد تو ذوقم

مریض باشه و بدنش کم کم از پاهاش شروع کنه به فلج شدن و همین طوری بیاد بالا و اون قدر دستش به دهنش برسه که نه تنها از عهده ی مخارج این بیماری مهلک برمیاد بلکه شصت نفر هم فول تایم تو خونه ش استخدام کنه که به امورش رسیدگی کنند...خب اعتراف کنین که طرف خیلی خاصه! متفاوته! مرفهه

زندگی پیچیده تر از اونیه که همه مون بخوایم لای خطوط یه کتاب به این سادگی با یه قانون شسته رفته پیداش کنیم بخصوص اگه این آقای معلم زندگی، تو همچین شرایط متفاوتی از وضعیت اکثریت باشه

كتابي درباره مرگ... و همزمان درباره زندگي..
راستش عليرغم تعريفاتي كه ازش شنيده بودم بعضي جاها واقعا حوصله‌م سرميرفت از خوندنش... اما جملات زيبايي هم داشت كه تا مدتها ميتونه فكر آدم رو درگير خودش كنه.. كلا كتاب خوبي بود..



... داستان درباره يك موج كوچك در آبهاي اقيانوس است. دوران خوشي را تجربه مي‌كند. از باد و هواي تازه و پاك بهره مي‌برد. تا اينكه چشمش به موجهاي ديگري مي‌افتد كه جلوتر از او به ساحل مي‌كوبند و متلاشي مي‌شوند.
موج مي‌گويد: آه خداي من! چه وحشتناك است. ببين چه سرنوشتي انتظارم را ميكشد!
كمي بعد، موج ديگري از راه مي‌رسد. موج اولي را مي‌بيند. غمگين به نظر مي‌رسد. به او مي‌گويد: چرا اينقدر غمگيني؟
موج اولي مي‌گويد: متوجه نيستي؟ همه ما متلاشي خواهيم شد. همه ما موجها، قرار است كه نيست شويم. وحشتناك نيست؟
موج دومي مي‌گويد: نه. متوجه نيستي! تو موج نيستي! تو بخشي از اين اقيانوس هستي!...




-درباره جمله روي سنگ قبرم تصميم گرفتم!
-علاقه‌اي به سنگ قبر ندارم. حالا به چه تصميمي رسيديد؟
-به ذهنم اين جمله رسيد: «آموزگاري تا لحظه آخر!»
لحظه‌اي مكث كرد تا حرفش را بگيرم.
-آموزگاري تا لحظه آخر. به نظرت خوب است؟
-مي‌گويم بله، خيلي خوب است...
(يك آموزگار بر ابديت اثر مي‌گذارد... و هرگز نمي‌تواند بگويد كه نفوذش در كجا متوقف مي‌شود... (هنري آدامز).)