Tuesdays with Morrie

What if you knew you were going to die? What if your body was slowly shutting down, and you had no way of stopping it? My current answer is: get drunk, cry, steal a blimp, not pay taxes and maybe cook meth to provide for my family. Essentially, I would become selfish and reckless. More than anything, I would be bitter. No question. If I get so much as a paper cut I'm screaming bloody murder at the world.

Morrie decides to not only accept his fate, but embrace, cherish and share it. He was diagnosed with ALS or Lou Gehrig's disease and knew that his body was slowly withering. Instead of being bitter- he is pleasant. Instead of being selfish, he spends his time helping others through their troubles. The craziest thing, though, is that this isn't fiction. Morrie and Mitch Albom, the man who wrote the book and whose prospective the story is told through, are real people. And within the first three chapters, I guarantee you'll forget that.

Ahhh... what can I say? Nothing extraordinary happens. Mitch and Morrie reconnect after years of not speaking. They agree to meet every Tuesday until the very end. And yes, there is an end. Morrie, unlike many fictional characters near death, did not live. He did not miraculously get better. But as much as that is a destination, the story is the spiritual journey.

Conversations and meditations on life that could have been easily lost and ignored are captured here. It's nothing extraordinary, but somehow it is. What would you do if you were in his shoes? What would you do differently? Who would you reach out to in your last moments? After hearing his story, you'll want to live the way he died.

Right now, things are rough. My husband and I are having to downsize after an extensive job search. As I type these words I'm sitting in my half-moved apartment that's a half-size of our last. Getting used to one salary after making two is tough. But, what's really important? As a materialistic girl, I realized that there is a world where I would not care. With the possibility of literally dying every moment everyday, in a fashion that doesn't allow you to say goodbye... well, let's just say that we don't normally act that way.

You'll cry. You'll be devastated. You'll wish that Morrie was your father and at the same time want to call your father and make sure he knows you love him. My advice? Just read it. Disclaimer: I am not liable for the emotional outpour that will ensue.