Returning to Morrie

Over the years, I was always a pretty good student. Not "top 5% of the class" good, but I always did well. I finished my homework, studied for my tests, and did the best I could do. But just like every other student, I had my moments - I procrastinated, didn't put full effort into some assignments, and sometimes I didn't even care enough to finish them at all.

This is what happened when I had to read Tuesdays with Morrie.

It was back in high school, sophomore year if I remember correctly, when I was assigned to read Tuesdays with Morrie. I remember starting it and actually enjoying it, but somewhere along the way I got too busy. I probably had too many assignments at once, got involved in marching band, and spent too much time sitting in the front hall with my friends after school. I started it but never finished. I'm pretty sure I skipped a good portion of the middle and read the end so I would be at least a little better prepared for my test. That's all Morrie was to me - another test to study for.

And yet, it was one of the few books that I kept from high school. It even made it onto my bookshelf (rather than tucked away in a dusty box). After all, I had enjoyed those parts of it that I did read, and I knew I wanted to come back to it some day to finish it.

That day finally came about 8 years later.

When I went to pull it off my bookshelf, I realized that the only thing I remembered was that it was about a man dying from ALS, or Lou Gehrig's Disease. As I began reading the first few pages, I was reminded that the story was also about a former student (the author, Mitch Album) that went to visit his old professor (Morrie). Mitch was a man that had gotten caught up in being successful at work and didn't have time for much else. I have to admit, I was wondering how I would be able to connect with the story. I thought it would be an entertaining read, but it never even crossed my mind that it could hold something even more valuable than a story line.

As I made it through the next couple chapters, I began to realize that Morrie wasn't scolding or lecturing a workaholic on his lifestyle choices (something I almost expected); he was simply trying to teach him the most important things he knew with the limited time he had left. The final lessons that Morrie gave Mitch are lessons that everyone can benefit from - lessons about life, love, and being the best person you can be.

While my situation in life is very different than Mitch's was at the time, I saw how Morrie's wisdom could be applied to my own life. Things I could improve on, others I think I might be doing right, and still others that I had never even thought of before. As I saw this more and more throughout the book, I realized that Morrie wasn't just teaching Mitch - he was teaching all of us, sharing his final thoughts and wisdom with a dear friend that he knew would be able to share them with the world.

Interestingly enough, there is at least one thing that Mitch and I have in common: we both spent years away from Morrie, but still felt drawn back to him. Mitch always said he would keep in touch with Morrie after college, then lost touch for 16 years until finding out Morrie was sick. I always said I would re-read Tuesdays with Morrie, but it still took me 8 years to do so. I point this out for two reasons. First, I think it's an interesting parallel. Second, I think it just goes to show what a wise, compassionate, and special person Morrie must have been. No matter how long it's been, people are always drawn back to him - and he is always there to welcome them with open arms.

Image from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tuesdays_with_Morrie