I had wanted to write about this book for a very long time, but the last time I read it was around 15 years ago. Time really flies.
I recalled feeling very touched and inspired after reading this, and bought ten copies on a whim to gift to people. (At the time, it was only $9.99. Now, the prices have more than doubled. *sniff* Inflation sucks!)
Anyhow, today, I finally finished rereading the book. Now that it’s fresh on my mind, I’ve written down a few quotes I personally found very touching from the story.
Tuesdays with Morrie is a real-life story about an old man dying from ALS. Morrie shares his life lessons with his student, Mitch, who is the author of this book. It’s a very genuine story that really makes you ponder on life. Here are a few quotes from the novel that evoked a lot of emotions in me:
“Well, Ted, one day soon, someone’s gonna have to wipe my ass.”
Mitch was very accepting of his condition and knew he was dying. But this was one thing he dreaded the most. Because when you need someone to wipe your ass, you no longer have the ability to take care of yourself. It is such a sad realization. Society also makes us feel very ashamed.
Despite so, Morrie was grateful he had the time and mental state to say goodbye to those he loved.
“I traded a lot of dreams for a bigger paycheck, and I never even realized I was doing it.”
This is also so sad. I think most of us would choose a bigger paycheck over our dreams. Sometimes, we just need that stability in order to survive or maintain our quality of life. It’s really hard to find a balance.
I just hope that we can still dream a bit, and chase some of our passions even if it doesn’t pay.
“Everyone knows they’re going to die, but no one believes it. If we did, we would do things differently.”
Death seems to be something that’s so far away. For those of us who are in our 20s or 30s, we probably think we still have several decades left; perhaps working another thirty years or so before even thinking of retirement. But who knows when life will end?
I don’t want to regret, so I’m going to do the things I want to do now before it’s too late.
“This is part of what a family is about, not just love, but letting others know there’s someone who is watching out for them. It’s what I missed so much when my mother died –what I call your ‘spiritual security’ –knowing that your family will be there watching out for you. Nothing else will give you that. Not money. Not fame.”
Knowing that there’s someone watching out for me is very comforting. I’m really lucky both my parents are still around. Although the generation/cultural gap makes it very tough sometimes, I am grateful for everything they’ve done for me.
I’m learning to cherish and forgive. Continue reading “Touching quotes from Tuesdays with Morrie”
Grow with me 