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Late Spring of 1979
A hot sticky Saturday afternoon in the late spring of 1979 is the graduation of seniors for Brandeis University in the city of Waltham, Massachusetts. This is where Mitch gives Morrie a tan briefcase with his initials on the front as a token of appreciation. -
Summer of 1994
Morrie's death sentence was discovered in the summer of 1994. But looking back he knew that something bad was coming long before that. He was diagnosed as having ALS, Lou Gehrig's disease. -
Fall of 1994 Morrie teaches his final college course
In the fall of 1994 Morries once again comes to the hilly Brandeis campus to teach another college course. This time however, will be his last. -
March of 1995 a limousine carrying Ted Koppel pulls up to Morrie's home.
In March of 1995 a limousine carrying Ted Koppel, the host of ABC-TV "Nightline" pulled up to a snow covered curb outside of Morries home to do an interview about him. Because of the broadcast of this show, Mitch Albom discovers the fate of his friend. -
The Orientation
Soon after the broacast of "Nightline" and the discovery of Morrie's fate, Mitch Albom meets once again with his long time friend. This is where Mitch begins his last class with his old professor. -
The Curriculm
The last class of my old professor's life that took place in his house once a week. No books were required but many topics were covered about love, work, community, family, aging, forgiveness, and death. -
The First Tuesday We Talk About the World
They discover that they are Tuesday people. Morries teaches Mitch that "The most important thing in life is to learn how to give out love, and to let it come in." -
The Second Tuesday
The second Tuesday that Mitch meets with Morrie they talked about feeling sorry for yourself. Morrie says; "I give myself a good cry if I need it. But then I concentrate on all the good things still in my life." a daily limit of "self-pity." -
The Third Tuesday We Talk About Regrets
Mitch is beginning to realize that he is losing Morrie. He brings a tape recorder to help record their life lessons. When they starting talking about regrets, Morrie says; "the culture doesn't encourage you to think about such things until you're about to die. We're so wrapped up with egotistical things, career, family, haveing enough money....Is this all? Is this allI want? Is something missing?" You need to live life with no regrets. -
The Fourth Tuesday We Talk About Death"
They begin with this tought, "Everyone knows they're going to die, but nobody believes it. If we did, we would do things differently." Morrie goes on to explain, "Do what the Buddhists do. Every day, have a little bird on your sholder that asks, "Is today the day? Am I ready? Am I doing all I need to do? Am I being the person I want to be?" If not, live your life the way you want it to be. -
The Fifth Tuesday We Talked About Family
"The fact is, there is no foundation, no secure ground, upon which people stand today if it isn't the family..."Morrie was alway surrounded by the love of his family. -
The Sixth Tuesday We Talk About Emotions"
Morrie tells Mitch "I know how I want to die." "I don't want to leave the world in a state fright. I want to know waht is happening, accept it, get to a peaceful place, and let go." This is where Mitch says; "Don't go yet" and Morrie adds "No. Not yet. We still have work to do." -
The Seventh Tuusday We Talk About the Fear of Aging
Morrie lost his battle. Someone was now wiping his behind. He tells Mitch, "It's like going back to being a child again. Someone to bathe you. Someone to lift you. Someone to wipe you. We all know how to be a child. It's inside all of us. For me, it's just remembering how to enjoy it." -
The Eighth Tuesday We Talk About Money
"Money is not a substitute for tenderness, and power is not a substitute for tenderness. I can tell you, as I'm sitting here dying, when you most need it, neither money nor power will give you the feeling you're looking for, not matter how much of them you have." Morrie helped to teach Mitch that money isn't everything. -
The Ninth Tuesday We Talked About How Love Goes On
"If I worried about being forgotten after I die?" "I don't think I will be. I've got so many people who have been in volved with me in close intimate ways. And love is how you stay alive, even after you are gone." This is what Morrie says to Mitch and then they laugh at the sound of it because it sounded like a song lyric--"Love is how you stay alive.' -
The Tenth Tuesday We Talk About Marriage
Mitch's wife Janine accompanies Mitch on this Tuesday meeting. They talk about how it is to be married to someone and Morries feelings on marriage. This is what Morrie says; "I think marriage is a very important thing to do, and you're missing a hell of a lot if you don't try it.' He ended the subject by quoting "Love each other or perish." -
The Eleventh Tuesday We Talk About Our Culture
Morrie tells Mitch that people need to "Invest in the human family. Invest in people. Build a little community of those you love and who love you." By this he is saying, be kind to people, love them and treat them with respect. -
The Twelfth Tuesday We Talk About Forgiveness
Morrie says "Forgive yorself before you die. Then Forgive others." He continues by saying, "Don't wait, Mitch. Not everyone gets the time I'm getting. Not everyone is as lucky." Then they share a tender moment and Morrie says to Mitch, "I don't know why you came back to me but I want to say this..." "If I could have had another son, I would have liked it to be you." -
The Thirteenth Tuesday We Talk About The Perfect Day
Morrie Tells Mitch, "That's what we're all looking for. A certain peace with the idea of dying. If we know, in the end, that we can finally do the really hard thing." Which is? "Make peace with living.' They talked about Mitch's brother and how they have become so distant and Morrie then reasures Mitch that someday "You'll find your way back to you brother." -
The Fourteenth Tuesday We Say Good-bye
On a day that wasn't going to well for Morrie, Mitch realized that the their time had come to an end. He told Morrie that he didn't know how to say good-bye. He patted Mitch's hand weakly, and kept it on his chest. Then Morrie said; "This..... is how we say .... good-bye....." "Love... you," he rasped. -
Graduation
"You talk, I'll listen" he had once said to Mitch. To Mitch's happiness, he found that the imagined conversation felt almost natural. He looked down at his hands, saw his watch and realized why. It was Tuesday. -
Tuesdays with Morrie
An old man, a young man, and life's greatest lesson.
