A new blog series on tuesdays with Morrie

I first read tuesdays With Morrie many, many moons ago. It was touching and sweet and full of wonderful life lessons, but I think I was a little too young to fully internalize the story and messages. I picked it up again recently (you know, in my old age), and I found it amazingly powerful! It is chock-full of life lessons which have inspired me to write a blog series.

Please join me in pondering the 'lectures' found in tuesdays With Morrie: An old man, a young man, and life's greatest lesson.

My plan for the series is to write about the main message of each chapter of the book. Today, we'll start with the first few chapters that introduce the background of the real-life story and premise of the book.





Book Introduction/Series Introduction:
Background: 
Morrie Schwartz was a sociology professor at Brandeis University who was diagnosed with ALS in his seventies. The book touts him as a man loved by students because his teaching methods were nothing like standard education methods and because his interest in his students was devout.

The author of the book, Mitch Albom, was a former student of Morrie's who had promised to stay in touch, but Mitch lost touch after graduation. They had been close friends, and Morrie had been a key encourager in Mitch's college life. After hearing about Morrie's illness (on national television, no less), Mitch went to visit his old professor, which is when the two of them decided to begin teaching, writing, and researching the last thesis both of them would work on before Morrie's death.

Introduction's Lesson:
When Morrie and Mitch reunite, Morrie asks Mitch some hard questions about his life which foreshadows the life lessons taught in the book.
"'Have you found someone to share your heart with?
'Are you giving to your community?
'Are you at peace with yourself?
'Are you trying to be as human as you can be?'" (Pg. 34)

As I ponder those questions myself, I ask you to ponder them, too: to really think about how you're sharing your heart; how you're giving to your community; whether or not you're at peace with yourself; and if you're being human.

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