Student Essay on The Meaning of Life

The Meaning of Life by Mitch Albom

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Essay

Tuesdays with Morrie, by Mitch Albom.

"The Meaning of Life"

During Morrie's final weeks, he tried teaching Mitch about the values of life and how we all must forgives ourselves for what we have done us and others. How to take guilt and turn it into a positive outlook etc. Mitch learned to "make peace with living" and to cherish the time you have. Morrie would tell him about his life and how hard it was growing up without a mother, having to verify his father's body at the morgue, dealing with this crippling disease, his brother, his wife and his struggles. He explained how people of today just focus on thing on the outside and of interest than on oneself.

Because of Morrie, Mitch became a whole new person, he learned to love, to embrace aging and most of all: "there is no such thing as "too late" in life."(pg190-Conclusion) He realizes that the person he was before the initial Nightline show, was a person of the past...greedy, stingy and a regular (in this case, one who does not care..has a one track mind).

Towards Morrie's final weeks, Mitch brings over his wife, Janine to meet him. Almost immediately they bonded. Janine is a singer and is usually shy when people request to hear her. During this visit, Morrie requested that she sing a tune and she did. I was a tune from the 30's and it made Morrie feel good inside as he closed his eyes and listened. For Mitch, it was a miracle that his wife sang..she sang in a way he had never heard, and he was proud.

I think Mitch is moved by Morrie for many reasons. One, he was a professor of many talents, not just sociology. He was like a free spirit. Did whatever he wanted without a fear in the world. Loved everything and everyone including himself. He was well respected by everyone around him (even drivers). Morrie was the perfect example of a person who observed, all around. Like most people...infact nearly 90 percent of the US, we all live on a one track mind,..money, greed, power. To Morrie, it was like he didn't care. To Mitch, that is what was special. The more sessions he had with his former professor, the more he changed. Morrie made him realize what life is all about...not money but love.