.....deathbed, Morrie reflects on his life, and relays several messages about the meaning or purpose of life. Ironically, one of the main messages of the story is that life does not necessarily have a greater or cosmic meaning. Meaning is found in what is immediately before us, in the day-to-day existence and especially in relationships with others. Life's meaning is found in accepting life for what it is rather than wishing it could be something else. The meaning of life can therefore be best understood by appreciating what we have now instead of wishing we were different or that things were different.Second, and following from this, the meaning of life is located in the small details, things we can frequently overlook -- finding beauty and joy in every day, even on bad days and in situations that are painful or uncomfortable. Meaning is especially found in friendship, caring for others, and love. Letting go of selfishness and embracing acceptance, one can discover the meaning of life.
Finally, it is easier to talk about what is not meaningful to Morrie than what is. What is not meaningful, according to Morrie, is money, power, fame, or status. These things may feel good temporarily but in the long run they do not provide meaning. Only caring, sharing, and acceptance can provide the greater meaning. On the eighth Tuesday, for example, Morrie emphatically states, "neither money nor power will give you the feeling you're looking for, no matter how much of them you have," (p. 36). Ultimately, Morrie's philosophy about the meaning of life is summarized in his statement, "Devote yourself to loving others, devote yourself to your community around you, and devote yourself to creating something that gives you purpose and meaning," (p. 37). That sense of purpose and meaning will be different for each person, but generally it will involve doing things that are for other people, with other people, or in any way promoting genuine happiness and wellbeing.
Mitch's interaction with Morrie...
For instance, Mitch graduates from collage, begins his career, and lets his work consume him. Morrie asks if he had found someone to share his heart with, if he was giving to his community, and if he was at peace with himself. Mitch wonders what happened to him and is embarrassed (34). In reality what happened to Mitch is what has happened too many before; he went to work
Tuesdays With Morrie Physically: How is Morrie eating? "He was eating mostly liquid supplements, with perhaps a bran muffin tossed in until it was mushy and easily digested." "He was taking food through a straw. I still shopped every week and walked in with bags to show him, but it was more for the look than anything else." "He had begun to cough while eating, and chewing was a chore." How is Morrie talking? "When you're in
Existentialists look at life differently, and so does Morrie. Where others would become depressed about their growing dependency on others, Morrie sees it as a chance to "experience" being a baby again, something that was important in his life but he no longer remembers. He has a different way of looking at things, and this seems like a better way to manage the stresses of life. Not eternal optimism,
Tuesdays With Morrie People react in unpredictable ways to death. If someone we love dies suddenly in an accident, we know what to do. We have to arrange for burial and mourn our loved one. But many people do not die suddenly. They get sick, go to the doctor, find out they have a fatal or potentially fatal disease, and often live for some time after that diagnosis. People aren't always
Tuesdays with Morrie, Mitch Albom recounts the afternoons he spent with his old college professor, Morrie Schwartz, after discovering that Morrie was dying from ALS (also known as Lou Gehrig's disease). For anyone interested in the study of death and dying, the book is a tremendous resource. When we speak about death speculatively or theoretically, many of us fantasize about living a long healthy life and then dying quite suddenly
Gran Torino Moody (2010) introduced many important concepts about aging in his textbook. The idea of aging as a subject is broached in many ways in this informative book, however there are some key aspects that suggest the most prominent and problematic concepts of aging that are highlighted when comparing this text to the film Gran Torino, directed by Clint Eastwood. This movie suggests that despite the portrayal as violence as
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