Tuesdays With Morrie

Last night I saw the theatre production of Tuesdays With Morrie. When the lights went down the audience sat transfixed for the next 90 minutes almost holding their breath collectively. What a powerfully moving experience that was. I felt a full range of emotion as I watched the life both ebb and flow from Morrie as he spoke of his attitude toward his own demise.

Mitch Albom, the author of the book, played himself on the stage. Mitch was Morrie’s student when he was at Uni, and visits his old teacher every Tuesday during the final months of his life, as Morrie slowly dies from Motor Neurone Disease. Morrie shares lots of wisdom and has a strong emphasis on relationships, love and people.

Morrie has a twinkle in his eye and a smile on his face as he speaks of his own life and death. Mitch has a highly paid, high stress job which is his life. Mitch is competitive, ambitious and busy. He works in a cut-throat media industry as a sports reporter who writes columns with frequent TV and radio gigs. Plus, he is very uncomfortable with talking about death, relationships and affection – all the things Morrie is eager to talk about. Morrie tells Mitch, “Dying is only one thing to be sad about, Mitch. Living unhappily is something else.”

The final scene sees the two men in a place of complete and honest beauty where Mitch finally and emotionally expresses his love of Morrie. If you have ever had a moment of complete honesty with a dying person, you will recognise how impacting this scene was. It seems odd to me that we learn so much about living from the dying.

Have you read this book or seen the play? Click on the comments below and tell me your reaction.