Tuesdays With Morrie Analysis of the Book and Personal Reflections
In the book, Tuesdays With Morrie, Morrie is diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. This disease is commonly known as ALS, it breaks down the nerve cells resulting in decreased functionality of the muscles. This has a major impact on the person's mental and physical health. ALS is a terminal disease, once you are diagnosed with it there is no cure. You are facing death straight into the face. This is Tuesdays with Morrie analysis where I will share my views of this book.
Morrie was a college professor in sociology, he spent his life studying and teaching the way society thinks, feels, and engages. Throughout his life he subtly prepared himself for the diagnosis. He adopted a positive outlook as he neared the end of his life. This helped him as he did not fear death. If he had a negative outlook on his disease and what was to come then it would have been a depressing experience. With his positivity, he brought a bright light onto a dark topic. He used his diagnosis to live the rest of his life fully and continues to teach his old student, Mitch. Morrie reviews what is important in life and the significance of it. Mitch in the beginning was living a life he did not want to live. Mitch complained about his life never being good enough, he always wanted it to be better. Morrie and Mitch would meet up every Tuesday and discuss the meaning of life and what he should value in his life. Morrie says,
“So many people walk around with a meaningless life. They seem to be 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”. This has a major effect on Mitch’s life, he makes several changes to make his life more purposeful. Mitch has a desire to have a better life. He was wrapped up in a materialistic thinking. He finally took a step back and looked at his life, he thought he should be happy. He had a great job, a family, and a house. He found that he hasn't prioritized what he should in order to have a successful life. Morrie was confronted with a difficult situation. He knew he would die, it was a matter of when it would happen. Morrie only allowed himself a limited amount of time to be sad about his condition. This allowed him time to say goodbye and create more memories before he died.
Reading Tuesdays with Morrie made me a better health care provider by helping me understand the emotions associated with having a disease and death. I can now show more empathy before because of my ability to comprehend what my patients could be dealing with. Empathy will help me connect to my patient and they will be more open to help or hearing frustrating answers. I now have more knowledge about how people can deal with death. With my knowledge I can help those and others who may be facing death.
