Tuesdays with Morrie Mitch Albom - American author, sport journalist/illustrator and also a musician from New Jersey, he’s 62 years old He became famous as a sport illustrator, but later in his career he started to write books and produce films with motivational and inspirational themes. Tuesdays with Morrie - - - - - Biographical so the characters are real, and the story is based one real events. Getting to know Morrie Schwarz (old uni professor, loves to eat mainly coleslaw, dancing his favourite is the tango but his own version of it) In 1994 noticing some health issues (shortness of breath, legs not working properly) The same year doctors discovered a serious health diagnosis that’s called ALS when Morrie wanted to go home by his car from school where he was teaching but couldn’t lift his leg up. Getting to know Mitch Albom (sports journalist, busy man, problems in his personal life with his girlfriend Jenine) Mitch founds out what happened to Morrie via TV in a hotel Mitch released how Morrie impacted him, wanting to call him and deciding to visit him First visit, eating, 5 mins in Morrie starts to talk about dying but he says that dying is not as sad as living life unhappily. The conversation goes on and Morrie asks Mitch about his life (if he’s happy, where he lives, married with kids, why is he not ready, he’s dream of becoming a pianist) Discussing ALS (melts you like a candle, but he’s lucky to teach his final lesson to how to live, because if you know how to live you know how to die) Showing Mitch that he needs to slow down and have more time for himself, then Mitch promises that he will come back to see Morrie and also Morrie gives Mitch some old photos. 2nd visit started with a live funeral then taking Morrie outside to the old university campus and talking about spring break, dancing, fantasy and getting old (being afraid of becoming old is for lives that weren’t fulfilled) and at the end of the visit they agreed to meet up every Tuesday Mitch’s girlfriend broke up with him and Morrie got a panic attack when he couldn’t breathe 3rd visit – Mitch mentioning some topics to talk about death, love, marriage, fear and so on, Mitch talking about his uncle Mike (cancer), Morrie opening up about his mother’s dead, dad (25 years old, reading the paragraph from the hospital / silent dad, never knowing his feelings, remarried a year later, can’t talk about Morrie’s mum they must forget her, being afraid of being loved and love someone that we can lose), Mitch getting in trouble in work, bird on your shoulder (Buddhists, excepting that we can die any moment, *if you did have a - - - - - - bird on your shoulder you wouldn’t put off things closest to your heart* Mitch taking this advice and buys a ring and tries to get engaged with his exgirlfriend but he didn’t give it to her 4th visit – why did Morrie become a teacher (father, working at the same job, finding out that he has asthma, stepmother the opposite of his father, every think he knows about teaching is because of her) talking about marriage *love is the only rational act* Mitch writes a letter to Jenine 5th visit (Jenine comes as well) – Morrie wants Mitch to leave Jenine and him alone, ALS getting to his lungs shortage of breathe, Jenine is a singer so sings to Morrie, Jenine and Mitch getting back together Morrie havings bad times every night, Mitch scared that every Tuesday would be the last 6th visit – *rainy day* Morries condition is worse and worse, passing a land mark (can’t wipe his ass no more, being taught to be ashamed of that and being depended on others, we need others to live, nothing to be ashamed of, to die, *must love another or die*, thinking of regrets (hard hearted – dream about his father, death of his father, didn’t cry, couldn’t forgive, he’s father was scared, *forgive everybody everything now don’t waste time* *we learn as much from what hurts us as from what loves us*) Mitch forgiving his boss and learning how to help Morrie Mitch went on a holiday with Jenine and proposed to her 7th visit - 24 hours of perfect health for Morrie – lovely breakfast, good swim, great lunch, walk in a park, talk how much they mean to each other, dinner pasta, dance to exhaustion + family / Morrie picked his spot to be buried, Mitch coming to visit him there to talk about his problems *Mitch talks Morrie listens*, Mitch worried that Morrie wasted his time on him, Mitch doesn’t want Morrie to die, What’s the point ? What we learn through suffering, *death is end to a life, not a relationship*, Mitch don’t know how to say goodbye, Morrie teaches him and says that he loves him Mitch says it back and Morrie says he always will love him, Mitch cries as he is leaving Morrie died the next Thursday, died peacefully with his family around him, funeral small and simple, with everybody that wants to dance with him, with poetry and it was on Tuesday *tough lessons take a lifetime to learn*
