I’ve had Tuesdays With Morrie sitting on my book shelf since first year. I had made my dad buy it for me because I had heard it was really good, and what father denies their daughter a book? And it was only $10.
Fast forward 3 years later I have finally read the book, and it only took me an afternoon. I’m very happy that I read it, I’m not happy that it took me 3 years to do it. But maybe things work in mysterious ways, my last post talked about a loss in our family. Had I read the book 3 years ago, I may not have felt the same about it, I may not have cried at the sad parts or laughed at the best parts. Tuesdays With Morrie taught me to care about the people I surround myself with, it’s not about the possessions you have, it is about the memories and the relationships.
I think we have all been caught up in our own lives, I know I certainly have. Appointments, deadlines, papers, exams, readings, jobs they all get piled on top of each other we get overwhelmed and days get harder. We are wrapped up in ourselves and what we have been told, that we forget the little things. The little things that are really the important things.
I put down the book and was so happy to have read it, I had tears in my eyes, but it was because the book meant something to me. The tag line of the book is: an old man, a young man, and life’s greatest lesson. I think Morrie gives us more than one lesson
“the most important thing in life is to learn how to give out love and let it in” p.52
“love is how you stay alive, even after you’re gone” p.113
“be compassionate and take responsibility for each other, if we only learned those lessons, this world would be so much better a place” p.163
“As long as we can love each other, and remember the feeling of love we had, we can die without ever really going away. All the love you created is still there. All the memories are still there. You live on—in the hearts of everyone you have touched and nurtured while you were here.” p. 174
I find it fitting that my dad was the one who bought me this book. He is always finding ways and opportunities to teach us lessons about being a person, about being compassionate and about putting everything into it. I used to never really listen to him, I think its because I didn’t understand the true meaning of what he was telling us. As I am older and have lived away from home for three years I understand what being a friend means, I understand what being compassionate means and what being caring means.
Thinking about what my father has taught me and what this book has reinforced makes me believe that I am doing something that is greater than just for myself. I want placement to be new and exciting and eye opening but I don’t want it to be one sided. Anyways I hope it isn’t. From everything I’ve heard placement is about the people you meet and the relationships you build that last longer than 8 months. I am excited to start in a new place and understand new customs and cultures and I hope to bring something to the table as well.
For the last few months I have in Canada, other than school work, I will be spending with my family and friends. With the people who have taught me the greatest lessons in life and those who have stood by my side no matter what I’ve done.
I hope these few quotes from an amazing book have brightened your day, as they have mine 🙂
Small Is Not Inconsequential 