'I’ve Got You’ is the promise "Tuesdays with Morrie" offered me!

                                      TUESDAYS WITH MORRIE by Mitch Albom.

               I have been someone who is haunted by the thoughts of death, the aftermath, the situation of our loved ones, the fear of not knowing what happens next, the purpose of our existence, the things that might possibly go unsaid and lot more. This complicated streak of thoughts and inability to understand the reason behind it has always put me in despair. This book somehow erased the anxiety that surrounds such thoughts. It offered me solidarity, support and comfort around such abandoned areas. 

The book concerns an aging, dying professor and his beloved student discussing life, love, death. Questions like

1.                                           Why is aging scary?

2.                                           Why is the idea and talks about death are forbidden?

3.                                           What makes disease and the ensuing dependence a terrible thing?

4.                                           How necessary is to run the race that chases money and fame?

5.                                           Unfulfillment and discontentment in all things done?

6.                                          What values or purpose the life has?

7.                                          If death is the ultimatum, and irrespective you will be forgotten, what guarantees your                                    presence post demise?

 

    In a non-didactic way, the book answers the above questions by offering profound insights through the lived life of professor Morrie. In an undeniably optimistic lens, Morrie approaches his life. He iterates the mantra of “love each other or perish.”  The disease crumbles him, but his spirit is unaltered and lives for the sake of others by giving back to his community. His wisdom is not patronizing nor his lessons are condescending, he is this warm and compassionate person who pats your shoulder and guides you with his love and concern.  He is this non-judgemental person who embraces the flaws.

    A teacher or a mentor is always someone we look up to.  Their presence in a difficult situation or just telling them the chaos will offer sanity and clarity. We hold onto their words, reminiscence them and cherish it. This book gave me more reasons to hold on to people, give back to the people, community. Acknowledging the love and efforts of others, remembering and forgiving are for our wellness.

    No wonder, this 1997 memoir is immensely popular, liked and suggested by many.  Anybody who is lost, consumed by capitalism and mindlessly doom scrolls, this can be a game changer. (that person is me though). This book finds you, no matter where you are, how you are, what you are doing- it cuddles you and reminds you of the endless possibility that life has to offer. And maybe you will connect back to that person, whom you think has shaped your worldly perception and enabled you to live.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    

    The following are my favourite lines from the book.  (a long enlisting though)

·       “Sometimes you cannot believe what you see, you have to believe what you feel. And if you are ever going to have other people trust you, you must feel that  you can trust them, too- even when you are in the dark”                       

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

·       “I seek my identity in toughness- but it is  Morrie’s softness that draws me, and because he does not look at me as a kid trying to be something more than I am, I relax.”

·       “Unsatisfied lives. Unfulfilled lives. Lives that haven’t found meaning. Because if you’ve found meaning in your life, you don’t want to go forward. You want to see more. You want to do more.”

·       “I believe in being fully present.”

·       “Death ends a life, not a relationship.”

·       “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.”

·       “Accept who you are; and revel in it.”

·       “The truth is, once you learn how to die, you learn how to live.

·       “If you hold back on the emotions--if you don't allow yourself to go all the way 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 yourself to dive in, all the way, over your heard even, you experience them fully and completely.