‘Morrie’ a must-read memoir

By Olivia Jones
Cabell Midland High School

I first discovered author Mitch Albom when a friend recommended “The Five People You Meet in Heaven.” I appreciated his straightforward, inspirational writing style and was more than delighted to read his earlier book, “Tuesdays with Morrie.”

“Tuesdays with Morrie” is a memoir revolving around the last days of Albom’s favorite college professor, Morrie Schwartz, who was diagnosed with ALS, or Lou Gehrig’s disease, in 1994.

After college, Albom and Morrie had lost contact as Albom pursued a career in sports broadcasting. Then one night Albom came across an interview with Morrie speaking about his disease.

He decided to visit. And after that first visit, Albom realized that he couldn’t lose contact again, so he arranged to visit Morrie every Tuesday.

They viewed their visits like their last class together, which soon led to the creation of this book, which Morrie considered their last thesis. Albom would record their conversations, which focused on life lesson like regrets, marriage and, most often, death. Morrie gave insight from his own experiences and how his perception had changed with the approach of death.

Even though, Morrie’s body was slowly withering, and he couldn’t even handle the simplest of tasks, his spirit was strong. His optimism was like a magnet, drawing old colleagues and even people he barely knew into his home.

Morrie Schwartz was a man who inspired thousands of people as a professor, and now even 10 years after his death, he continues to inspire thanks to Albom’s memoir.

I laughed, cried and was inspired from the first page to the last. “Tuesday’s with Morrie” is a must-read for everyone.